Photo By Sgt. Caitlin Wilkins | Philip Lizzo, an AmeriCorps volunteer, helps an Afghan evacuee with sight words during...... read more read more
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FORT McCOY, Wis. – AmeriCorps volunteers completed their two-month volunteer mission with Task Force McCoy as part of Operation Allies Welcome on Dec. 18, 2021.
The group, which is part of the National Civilian Community Corps, assists on a variety of projects related to natural and other disasters, infrastructure improvement, environmental stewardship, conservation and more. They volunteered as English teachers, recreational center assistants during their two-month stay here.
“It was really exciting when we started hearing about the mission here, and what our purpose was and the different things that we’re going to be involved in,” said Ana Martinez, an AmeriCorps community relations manager. “I know that most of us were excited to work with kids. Three of us were a part of the emergency respite center, we’re helping with education classes, we’re helping with the recreational centers, two of us are working in external affairs, we’re doing a lot of different things.”
In classrooms, volunteers taught basic English such as sight words, grammar, and vocabulary. They also introduced the elementary-aged students to school etiquette such as school assemblies, getting in line when entering and exiting their classroom area, raising their hand before speaking and completing homework assignments.
“I’ve been focusing on some basic grammar, different types of vocab words, stuff that’s in the classrooms, in your home, anything you might see on a daily basis,” said Philip Lizzo, an AmeriCorps volunteer. “I started to introduce simple math problems, addition, subtraction, which number is bigger, which number is smaller and things like that.”
For many volunteers, teaching English as a second language was a challenge, but as time progressed they learned ways to overcome these difficulties.
“You’re thrown in the classrooms and you just learn by doing,” said Krischan Gagnon, an AmeriCorps volunteer. “You learn to communicate and they learn how to understand you. You develop mannerisms that they understand over time. You get to know people so when you see them outside of class, they say hello, and all of those interactions make it worth it.”
Volunteers also spent time in the recreational centers keeping the Afghan children engaged with different games, toys and card games.
“The recreational centers are the best part,” said Martinez. “We play with the kids, whatever they want us to do, we will play with them. If they want us to play basketball we’ll get up and play basketball. If they want to push us around in a rolly chair, we will get pushed around in a rolly chair.”
Volunteers are proud of their time here, but will also miss the people and relationships they’ve made here throughout their time on the mission.
“I’m so proud of the work so far,” said Lizzo. “Being able to go into classrooms, and having interactions with the guests and actually becoming friends with them. On the weekends when we’d be in the north side recreational centers there’s one guy that would show up every week and we’d play cards with him. He’d teach us his own games, and those interactions really made us appreciate the project knowing that we really are making a difference. When we tell them, now we’re leaving, and to see the sad faces and all of a sudden groans, it hurts inside. It’s very bittersweet leaving.
| Date Taken: | 12.21.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 12.22.2021 08:37 |
| Story ID: | 411714 |
| Location: | FORT MCCOY, WISCONSIN, US |
| Web Views: | 263 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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