Volunteer
WHAT CAN YOU DO TO SUPPORT LITERACY IN ORANGE COUNTY?As a volunteer you can make a huge difference in the life of a child. The Early Literacy Program (ELP) always seeks volunteers to:
- Read to children at special events and Reach Out and Read clinics.
- Collect or donate gently used books.
- Rehabilitate books for distribution to children.
- Organize book drives.
If you are interesting in reading to children, you should know that this rewarding experience requires a rigorous screening process that will probably take 4-6 weeks from the time you first contact us. We do this to ensure that we provide readers to children who are both healthy and safe. Read on for more information!
The Process
Once you are a Reading Volunteer, you will receive training on best practices designed to help you promote early literacy and language development with children and families. We try and place volunteers within a short drive of their work or home, and reading schedules are flexible.The Screening Process includes the following steps:
- Step One: An initial application form. CLICK HERE TO FILL OUT AN ONLINE VERSION.
- Step Two: Complete a Reader Interview.
- Step Three: Complete a TB and fingerprint check. Our Volunteer Coordinator will help schedule these appointments for you at a local screening facility. This step typically takes 2-4 weeks to complete.
- Step Four: Complete a Reader Training
For additional information on how to volunteer please contact: Jordanna Kirschner, Volunteer Coordinator, 714.647.0900 ext. 108 (phone), 714.647.0901 (fax), jkirschner.elp@phfe.org.
