Smiles make it worth it, volunteer says, smiling

The Combined Fund Drive runs through Nov. 22. Throughout the drive, University Week will feature faculty and staff who give back to the community by volunteering their time.

Name: Donna D. Richards

UW Job: Program operations manager for Training and Development

Years at UW: 16

Volunteer activity: Project Compute, Rainier Community Center

Organization’s mission: Community building through technology for youth and senior citizens. Project Compute is offering students access to computers and technology that otherwise might not be available. All courses are free.

Donna Richards

How many years volunteering: More than four.

Why this particular activity: I volunteer to give parents a sense of security, knowing they can drop their child off at Project Compute and know that their child is in good hands. I like offering a professional yet personal touch in the way we run the program. When I first got involved my own child was attending the classes. I liked how employees from these big companies were coming into the center offering their services free of charge. I had only basic computer skills and didn’t think I would be much help volunteering, but they needed someone to organize and take care of the administrative duties, such as scheduling meetings and course offerings and coordinating the after school tutor program. This was something I had experience in through my regular job.

Memorable experiences: Nothing is as refreshing as seeing the faces of 4- and 5- year -olds learning computers for the first time. Or 6-12 year- olds challenging their minds with math, science and multimedia resources. Or watching senior citizens, age 55-93, still eager to learn computer skills.

Maybe the most memorable experience was the look on the face of the third-grader whose teacher said he was failing class because he couldn’t read. The lead tutor at Project Compute worked with this child one-on-one, giving him praise and encouragement. I remember the first time he read all by himself. He just could not keep it to himself - he told everyone who would listen that he could read now. That is what makes it all worthwhile: the smiles.

For more information about the Combined Fund Drive, talk to your local CFD coordinator or visit the Web site: http://depts.washington.edu/uwcfd/.

For more information about volunteering, visit the United Way of King County Web site, http://www.unitedwayofkingcounty.org/volunteer/. This is a community clearinghouse for volunteer opportunities, as well as board opportunities, encompassing the needs of more than 600 community organizations; it is not limited to United Way’s beneficiary agencies.