Emily’s Story – Uplifting Children, Youth Tutoring returns Sept. 12!

Twenty-five year old Emily McGrane, an Email Marketing Specialist at Direct Digital volunteers with Hands On Charlotte because she has always been interested in helping others. She found HOC through a Google search.

Emily has been volunteering for the Homework Hounds project for over the past three years tutoring elementary and middle school students. The project takes place at Beatties Ford Road Library. She has volunteered over 86.5 hours with Homework Hounds and is now a Volunteer Leader for the project.  When I asked her why she choose the project she responded “I love kids and that is the first project I went to after orientation. I loved it so much I just stuck with it.”

Emily McGrane

“I love the kids who come to this project in particular because they’re all so sweet and have a genuine curiosity about everything and a desire to learn” Emily replied when asked why she enjoyed volunteering with children. Emily wants to brighten a child’s life and make that child’s self-esteem grow. She is dedicated to this project and enjoys being a part of it. She thinks HOC has done a good job making this project is available at various libraries throughout Charlotte which is convenient for volunteers.

In Emily’s own passionate words about why people should volunteer “The kids at this project are the sweetest kids ever. They genuinely WANT to learn but they have many roadblocks. Some of the children have parents who don’t speak English. Other kids can’t afford school supplies or have dropped out of school and are looking to come back. You definitely see a little bit of everything at this project. Something that I really enjoy is that the majority of kids during the 2015-2016 school year came every week so you really got to build a personal relationship. There’s a girl who has been coming to the project every week for the past three years. This year, she made the honor roll for the first time and her dad was teary he was so proud. The parents who bring their kids to tutoring are really good, involved parents so it’s also a pleasure getting to know them as well.” 

Emily wants the kids that come to her project to learn and grow as individuals. She wants them to take away a sense of comfort from Homework Hounds. She feels good about helping but also feels sad when she thinks about how much more there still is to do. She wants more people to volunteer in order to make a positive difference in the lives of children. Children are the future and by her compassionate volunteer work she is helping the whole community. She would recommend HOC because it has been a great way for her to volunteer. “Doug does a great job training everyone and making sure that everyone feels comfortable. I’ve also met some great friends along the way,” Emily explained. Emily is another example of how volunteering can impact our lives positively. She uplifts the children by helping them learn but in return is uplifted.