(WNY News Now) – Jamestown, NY – Jamestown Community Learning Council (JCLC), a nonprofit serving families across Chautauqua County, nominated ToN (Tutoring Our Neighbors) Program at First Presbyterian Church as their United Way of Southern Chautauqua County 2024 Volunteers of the Year. Each year, the United Way of Southern Chautauqua County holds a Volunteer Recognition Ceremony where their funded agencies have an opportunity to nominate a volunteer of the year. The ToN Program partners with JCLC’s After School Amigos (ASA) Program at Love Elementary School.

“We were so thrilled to have this opportunity to recognize the ToN volunteers. Their eight-years of dedication to helping the After School Amigos students learn and grow will have a lasting impact on the students and their families,” said JCLC Executive Director Krista Camarata.

Members of the ToN Program meet every Wednesday for two hours with students from ASA at the First Presbyterian Church. Judy Kullberg started the program after participating in a similar one in North Carolina and bringing it to Jamestown.  The volunteers provide snacks, help tutor students with their homework, conduct a Reading Circle (including reading to the toddlers in A Children’s Place daycare), sing, and create arts and crafts projects such as sewing, painting, stained-glass window simulations, mixed media three-dimensional sculptures, and sidewalk art.

“The program promotes authentic inter-generational relationships,” said ToN volunteer, Janita Byars. “We are a real team. ToN provides a medium for community service that is ALL positive.”

The After School Amigos Program has been at Love Elementary School for over 13 years. The program was created to help Hispanic children and families become more involved in the school community and to feel comfortable and safe while learning. ASA meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays from October to June for two hours each day. Parents are asked to make a commitment to the program that focuses on attendance, communication and social skills, and overall school academics. A goal of the program is for all children to be successful and families to be part of their child’s learning. 

“We are so lucky to have the ToN program as part of our program,” said Love Elementary School teacher Pat Cunningham, who along with fellow teacher, Beth Strong, run ASA. “The leadership of Janita Byars has been exceptional the last few years. The ToN coordinator plans activities, organizes the weekly snacks and recruits and schedules the tutors that volunteer their time and love with the children. Together they build very positive relationships that will last a long time. We try to have a few family nights during the year, where the whole family of each child attends. This past year, the ToN volunteers put together a very nice soup and salad dinner with some entertainment that everyone enjoyed. The ToN program has been such a wonderful component to ASA, and we are so happy that they are being recognized by JCLC this year for the United Way volunteer award.”

JCLC would also like to give a special thank you to each of the ToN volunteers: Jan Williams, Karin Johnson, Jeff Szabo, Kathie Szabo, Catherine Willard, Suzanne Becker, Lori Johnson, John Johnson, Claire Murray, Susan Masters, Nancy Wassdorp, Janita Byars, Carol Sorg and Marilyn Scarpino.