By Theresa Garee

Are you looking for a way to positively impact the community around you? Volunteerism is a great way to connect and give back. Time spent volunteering can often be focused on tasks that you already enjoy doing.

If you enjoying reading, there are several options where you could be an asset to someone’s life.

Reading Buddies at Columbus Metropolitan Libraries

Volunteers can be an integral part of the Reading Buddies program. This program focuses on building skills and a love of reading early so children continue to read and learn through their school years.

Kids practice reading for 15 minutes with a volunteer buddy using books for their reading level and books they choose themselves.

Assisting children reading aloud has been shown to increase a child’s vocabulary and word recognition. Beyond the skill of reading, reading aloud also fosters social bonding and emotional growth according to Dr. Med Kharbach on her website Educators Technology.

“Through stories, children learn about different emotions and situations, enhancing their emotional intelligence and social understanding. This intimate experience of reading together contributes to a child’s sense of wellbeing and strengthens familial and educational bonds,” Kharbach says.

Volunteers interested in being a Reading Buddy at their local Columbus Library are asked to fill out an application and are required to complete a criminal background check before service can begin. Visit www.columbuslibrary.org/volunteers for more information.

Hospice

As was stated above, reading aloud can encourage social bonding and emotional growth. For patients in hospice bonding can be healing.

“A beautiful realization with our patients is that though many are unable to engage in conversation, they can connect with the volunteer through storytelling,” Volunteer Coordinator April Murphy of Echo Hospice said.

One of the Echo Hospice volunteers, Laura Stewart is currently reading through Home Front by Kristin Hannah to one of her patients.

“Each week, my patient looks at me with hopeful eyes and asks, ‘Did you bring the book?’ That simple question carries so much weight. It’s not just about the story, it’s about the bond we’ve built, the escape we share, and the gentle rhythm of connection that reading brings,” Stewart said.

In the realm of hospice, this practice is also called narrative medicine. According to the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, studies prove that “by harnessing the power of story, multiple diagnostic and therapeutic options that are particularly suitable to patients with incurable illness emerge.”

“Watching their face soften as I read, I see how stories soothe the soul. In those moments, I feel I’m giving something truly meaningful, something that goes beyond medicine or routine. I’m offering comfort, companionship, and a piece of myself,” Stewart said.

If you are interested in being a volunteer for hospice please contact April Murphy at ECHO Hospice, www.echohospiceoh.com.