April 23 – 29 was National Volunteer Week, which was an opportunity to celebrate community service. CTN is fortunate to have an amazing group of people who donate their time and expertise in support of the mission to close the digital divide. Behind the scenes are the members of the CTN board who keep the organization functioning. But on the frontline are are the valiant volunteers of our Digital Literacy Corps who represent CTN in the communities we serve.
In 2016, over 200 volunteers worked with nearly 16,000 people in computer centers across the Bay Area, giving almost 8,000 hours of their time! We think that’s pretty incredible.
To celebrate our amazing Digital Literacy Corps, we organized the annual appreciation party, which this year took place on Wednesday, April 26, at MakeSchool. It was an occasion to reward all the volunteers and to recognize the extra-special contributions with the volunteer awards. Here is the lowdown on the 2017 award winners.
Taylor Glas-Hochstettler: “Master Cultivator.” Taylor has cultivated great relationships with the staff at Castro Senior Center as well as with the learners, supporting them in building their skills and giving them what they need to become confident, independent computer users.
Michael Wiggins: “Master Juggler.” We don’t know if he can keep three flaming batons circulating, but we do know that Michael does a great job of juggling the learning needs of multiple clients who gather for a unique digital literacy program at St. Francis Living Room after their breakfast program concludes. He can often be found tutoring five learners at the same time! We are so grateful for his hard work.
Steve Schaffer: “Hardware Master.” Steve has been a volunteer for many years, and throughout his time with CTN, he has been the hardware guru! He has worked on all the refurbished computers for the AB1299 Program. We are so grateful for his technical wizardry.
James Burns: “Superstar Sub.” Inevitably, there are times when a volunteer can’t make their scheduled shift. Luckily, James has stepped in to cover the most shifts when needed. We are so grateful for his flexibility.
Vern Arbogast: “Marathon Man.” Vern is our longest-serving volunteer tutor, having been with CTN for over five years. It’s always great for CTN and the learners to have such consistency. We are so grateful for his commitment.
Barbara Jue: “The Shapeshifter.” Barbara supports CTN in a variety of different ways, including subbing and tutoring at multiple sites and being a facilitator at the annual staff retreat. We are so grateful for her multitude of talents.
Jared Boddum: “The Time Traveler.” Jared spent more than 280 hours serving in the Digital Literacy Corps, the most hours of all our volunteers. We are so grateful for his dedication.
If you would like to volunteer in any capacity, we’d love to hear from you! Find out more about the volunteer program here.
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