Community Volunteering In Columbus
Giving back to our community is largely emphasized within our organization. At MEDLIFE OSU we work with various local organizations to provide volunteering opportunities for our members. Previous organizations include FLOW, All Peoples Fresh Market, Festa (ESL), Habitat for Humanity, The Wexner Medical Center, Nationwide Children's Hospital, etc.
3-Generation Family English as a Second Language (ESL) Program
September – April
Tuesday and Thursday Nights 6-8:30 pm
*We have paid staff in each children’s room. As a volunteer, you assist them in playing with the children.*
Kids Club (K-8th grade): Help serve the children dinner, play and engage with the children by participating in planned large muscle and fine motor activities, and help the children run their own restaurant. Time commitment is 6:45-8:15pm.
Kids Club Homework room (K-8th grade): Assist with academic support, homework help, and tutoring. Time commitment is 6:45-8:15pm.
Adult English Classes: Assist teachers with adults as they learn English.
Six class levels of fluency – Intro, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Classes are held twice a week, on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Classroom assistants can volunteer for Tuesdays only, Thursdays only, or both days. But we do want the volunteers to be consistent and reliable.
In-Person classes – 6:00-8:30 p.m. at The Church at Mill Run, 3500 Mill Run Drive, Hilliard
Online (Zoom) classes – 3:00-5:00 p.m.
All classes are conducted in English only. No need to be fluent in another language.
We use the Future curriculum published by Pearson.
Classroom teachers (not assistants) prepare the lesson plans. Typically, the teachers present in class the new grammatical point or set of vocabulary. When the class breaks into small groups, the assistants lead subsets of the class to practice what has been presented.
Volunteer training sessions are on Thursday, September 1; Tuesday, September 6; and Thursday, September 8th 6:00 p.m. at The Church at Mill Run.
The first day of class for both the in-person and the online programs is Tuesday, September 20th.
Dinner Angels: Provide a dinner once or monthly for the children facing suburban poverty who attend our 3-Generation Family ESL Program. The time commitment is 6:00-7 pm. Click here to sign up.
Dinner Team: Every Tuesday and/or Thursday we need a team of volunteers to set the children’s dinner tables and ensure the dinner donation is ready to be served.
Hospitality Team: Help us create an environment where adult New Americans who attend our program can create community. 2-3 adult volunteers are needed from 6:00-7:30 pm to set up and run “International Coffee time.” This would include seting up and tearing down, preparing hot and cold beverages, plating cookies and snacks, and conversing with adult students during their class break.
Questions? Contact us at 614-596-7939 or email volunteer@wearefesta.org