Showing Up Matters: The Volunteers Who Become Part of a Child’s Journey

At PCAT, volunteers are an important part of the community that surrounds each child with encouragement and support.

As PCAT’s Volunteer Coordinator, Lynne helps welcome and connect the people who choose to give their time to the program. At the beginning of a new school year, her message to returning volunteers revealed something particularly meaningful about those relationships.

“Our kids love you so much. They all grow so attached to you.”

For the children, a volunteer can become another familiar face who shows up, listens, encourages and takes an interest in their learning. Over time, those repeated interactions can create relationships that make the PCAT experience feel personal and supportive.

And that is what makes volunteering with PCAT about more than simply giving a few hours of time.

Volunteers become part of a larger effort alongside PCAT’s educators, staff and families to create an environment where children know there are people invested in seeing them learn and grow.

Lynne sees that connection from a unique perspective. As she prepares volunteers to return each school year, she also sees the anticipation from the children who have come to know them.

Her excitement about welcoming volunteers back reflects the role they play in the PCAT community—and the opportunity for more people to become part of a child’s educational journey simply by choosing to show up.