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Community Corner

Local Teens Give Back as Library Summer Volunteers

The Ocean County Library's SAIL program provides a way for teens to earn volunteer hours

About 70 Manchester teens signed up to donate some of their time this summer to a good cause when they joined the Service and Achievement In the Library, or SAIL, program being held throughout the county's library system. 

"The SAIL Program is a teen volunteer program where the volunteers come to the library once a week for two hours for the entire summer," said SAIL coordinator Jen Solly. "They volunteer their time and help us with different things for our children’s program, adult programs and just general things around the library."

The volunteers at of the Ocean County Library do work such as photocopying, preparing childrens’ crafts and creating displays, Solly said.

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The teens come to the library to volunteer for a variety of reasons.

“Sometimes the kids need volunteer hours for school or if they are making their confirmation. Sometimes the kids just love the library and love to read -- and they find out about SAIL that way,” Solly said.

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Dylan Wolverton, a 16-year-old SAIL volunteer, gives his time for another reason.

“I know that volunteering will help me look well-rounded when I apply to colleges this year," he said. "I also think that giving back to the community is a good thing."

Another way to earn volunteer hours is through the Reading Buddies Program.

“We also run the Reading Buddies Program where struggling readers in kindergarten through third grade come in and read to the teens," Solly said. "I trained the teens to work with the younger kids and to encourage and help them with their reading."

Solly said that she teaches the teens different strategies that they can use to help the struggling readers.  

“Sounding out a word with the younger child or reading the word aloud for the child and having them repeat the word can be helpful for the child," she said. "Also, I train the teens how to help the child pick out books that are an appropriate reading level."

At the end of the summer, the teens are invited to an ice cream party and they receive certificates inscribed with the number of hours they volunteered.

Solly has been SAIL Coordinator in Manchester for the last five years.  She spends 14 hours per week with the teen volunteers.

“My favorite part is getting to know the kids," she said. "Since they come every week I really get to know their personalities, really connect with them and get them to come back into the library."

While the volunteers are working, Solly said that she connects with them over books.

“We talk a lot about what the kids like to read. They recommend books to me and I recommend some to them. It’s great.”

Solly said that the “Twilight” Series by Stephenie Meyer and “The Hunger Games” trilogy by Suzanne Collins are very popular books for teens right now.

More information about the library and its programs is available online or by calling 732-657-7600.

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