Volunteer Spotlight | Ana Rojas, Room Parent, Westchester Elementary, FL
Today, our Volunteer Spotlight shines on Ana Rojas, who uses VolunteerSpot's online signup sheets to coordinate parents for her son's first grade classroom activities.
Tell us about your role as a parent volunteer leader.
This year is my first year as a Room Parent for my son's first grade class.
How do you use VolunteerSpot to coordinate your parent volunteers?
I had to coordinate what all the parents were going to bring for our Halloween Party.
What other activities are you involved in as a volunteer or volunteer leader?
I am also doing a program called Meet the Masters which all volunteer based. It teaches children about art, famous pieces, and art concepts. At work, I coordinate volunteer projects for our employees.
What’s one piece of advice you have for parent volunteers out there?
Get a headstart. This gives you plenty of time to work out any kinks and problems. The hardest thing I encountered was getting all of the initial contact information correct and ensuring they are receiving my communications. Also, don't be afraid to ask! Some parents are happy to come in on occasion or bring in something for a class project but you have to ask.
Why did you decide to use VolunteerSpot?
I was spending too much time trying to coordinate once parents started to share what they wanted to bring in for the party. I had to tell them that what they wanted to bring it was already taken. I work full time so I just had to find a more efficient way of doing it. After just a couple of days I had several of the items I had requested covered and all I had to do was send one email with the link and they went to town. Four parents contributed everything we needed for a class of 18! It was amazingly easy.
Anything else you’d like our readers to know about your school, event, or volunteering?
Volunteering is such a worthwhile experience. I see the pride that my son has in his eyes when I walk in the room or when his teacher thanks me for what I do. All the kids know who I am and I'm delighted when I run into their parents, and am able to let them know how their kids are doing in class. I work full-time so, there's no excuse. If I can do it, anyone can! I carve out as much time as I can; it's only 30 minutes twice a week but it makes a world of difference to the teacher.
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We salute Ana and all the other volunteer leaders out there making a difference. If you're using VolunteerSpot, write and tell us about what you're doing and give us a chance to shine our Volunteer Spotlight on you!! Just email us at [email protected].
