BRANDON TOWNSHIP-Almost any day of the week, one can find a number of student volunteers at the Brandon Township Public Library lending their time to library staff.
In its second year, the Helping Hands Volunteers program designed for students 8-11 years old utilizes student volunteers to help with snacks, organizing shelves, preparing program materials and assisting other children on computers.
The library’s two-six week sessions attracts about 300 children to participate in various activities has been a success according to the library’s head of youth services department, Fran Runnells.
“The kids come in for a few hours whenever they have spare time. They can come Monday through Saturday any time they want. They really do help us tremendously.”
The volunteer students are such an asset to the library staff that 38 were nominated for the Youth Assistance Recognition Program, an Oakland County government program.
“It was really exciting for us to nominate them. It’s such a valuable program fore the community and for the student volunteers themselves,” said Runnells.
Three eager volunteers that are faithful about lending their helping hands are Keade Katuzin,14, Samantha Sheperd,10, and Micheal Andrews,11.
Katuzin has been with the program for two years and is a student at Brandon High School.
“I really like volunteering because I get to help the kids, organize and it’s fun.”
Katuzin explained that she would like to become a Air Force Officer because she wants to follow in her dads footsteps.
“He is in the Army and got called to come back. We have many people in our family that are in the service and I want to be like them.”
Sheperd enjoys being with her friends who also help at the library and has been a volunteer for two years as well.
“I’m an only child so it’s fun to play up here and help out with the other kids.”
When she is not devoting her time to others she likes to do ordinary kid stuff, including skiing and playing in the snow. She is a student at Brandon Fletcher Intermediate.
Lastly, Andrew has been with the program for a year. He also attends Fletcher and said he loves to make dinosaurs for the children.
“I just came up here one day and the librarian asked me if I could spare some of my time to help out. I thought it would be really fun.”
“When the sessions start, those kids help us make crafts for that many children and do a lot in different areas of the library. We are really lucky to have them,” said Runnells.