Ashley Elias had gathered a plethora of volunteer opportunities throughout the community. All of the announcements were made, and the sign-up sheets were posted in their usual locations. All information possible had been collected, and the routine for involving students in volunteering was scorched into her brain. All event coordinators were on standby for possible volunteers. She had completed the tasks needed as volunteer coordinator of Revere High School. Now all she had to do was wait.

            Coming to the high school only a couple of years ago, Elias began her career at Revere as an educational aide and came back last year as a long-term ALC substitute teacher. She began her job as volunteer coordinator this past fall in August. Elias is also the intervention assistance team (IAT) coordinator, as well as the coordinator of the school’s new homework lunch program.

            Phil King, Revere High School’s Principal, explained that Elias “helps the student body find those opportunities for volunteering.”

Elias explained where she finds her volunteer opportunities for people in the school that are interested.

            “Most of [the volunteer opportunities] I have [are from] people that contact me. I get letters, emails, phone calls, and then I also have things that people within the school tell me about. I have a binder full of opportunities from various locations that always need assistance, and if students want to go into a special field, then I have a binder full of things that they can go through and volunteer at [such as] nursing homes [and other places] that we can call up and say, ‘Hey, they want some experience in the medical field, so they are going to come and volunteer once a week,’” Elias said.

Kay Quigley, the Student Assistance Coordinator, also added that “keeping that volunteer coordinator [position] going” is very important.  She voiced what she does with Elias.

“We get requests ongoing, so we organize things as soon as we get a request from a parent, but sometimes it’s very last minute… We try to ask them to give us some time because kids need to plan rides and everything else,” Quigley said.

            Elias added that she tries to get students into a volunteer opportunity that they would be individually “interested in,” or something they would enjoy. She knows that some of the volunteer opportunities are “not for everybody,” but she encourages the students that are interested in a certain type of volunteer work to sign up.

            King voiced that Elias is committed to her job and assisting students.

            “She does [an outstanding job] as IAT coordinator, volunteer coordinator and coordinator of our homework lunch program. She uses all of her time wisely to make sure that she’s on the ball, making sure that she’s connecting all the dots between all of those people that she has to connect with,” King said.

Elias voiced that there is “a whole plethora of [volunteer opportunities].” Elias also said that she is always looking for volunteers, and if there is anyone who is interested, she will welcome them appreciatively.