A recruiter for an elder mentor program is in Haines. She is aiming to set up a system to create bonds between students and elders in local schools.
The Elder Mentor Program is a statewide project that pairs seniors with students in the school system.
Radbod: “We don’t have any elder mentors here in Haines, so that’s why I’m here, to hopefully get the program going.”
Yasmin Radbod works for the Rural Alaska Community Action Program, or RurAL CAP, the nonprofit that set up, among others, the Head Start program.
Radbod: “Elder Mentors are volunteers age 55 and over, who serve locally at a school in a classroom, with students, mentoring kids, tutoring them, being a lunch buddy, whatever our elder mentors are interested in and passionate about sharing with the next generation, we facilitate that process and make it happen.”
Radbod says she travels around Alaska to recruit volunteers. She times her visits to coincide with community events, to easily connect with people. She was attracted to Haines this week by the Bald Eagle Festival. She says she seeks to pair students of all ages with elders. Volunteers can go into any of the area’s schools to spend time with children. She speaks highly of the elder’s influence on youth.
Radbod: “We hear about so many wonderful stories about how students are. Maybe students who were nonverbal who are now starting to speak, incredible success stories like that, students with behavioral issues who were struggling having connections with other students, who thanks to the work with their elder mentor volunteer, that now they are able to share and engage with other students in a healthy way.”
Radbod says some elders in the program take on the role of culture bearer. They can help children learn a language, or pass on traditions.
Radbod: “In New Stuyahok we have a group of long-time elder mentors, and Aanu only speaks Yupik, she’s now around 80 years old, and she volunteers in the high school. Some days she is just a presence, and sits with the students and shares and engages, other days she is teaching them to make kuspuks, traditional clothing.”
Her quest for volunteers leads Radbod to the lunch hour at the Haines Senior Center. Chicken is on the menu. Radbod sits at a table and engages a group of women in conversation. Just before the main course, she gets up and presents her program to the crowd.
Radbod: “So there is a lot of flexibility, to find something that you will enjoy doing. We also have elder mentors who teach fishing, subsistence lifestyle, language, culture, anything that you are passionate about.”
Radbod answers questions from the crowd, then goes between tables to chat with prospective volunteers. She finds people are interested in the program. One woman says she has grandchildren in the school, and would enjoy volunteering with middle schoolers. A man whom had a career as an actor says he would like to volunteer with highschoolers interested in improv and performance.
Because the program is in schools, volunteers have to pass a background check. Volunteers are required to commit 20 hours a month, and will receive a small stipend, which Radbod says usually amounts to $200 a month.
