Local volunteers needed for Partners at Lunch program

By Teresa Stowell of the Daily Times staff
Thursday, October 30, 2008 12:10 PM CDT

Douglas School fourth-grader Cody Wellman and retired teacher Jane Lyons meet once a week during lunch as part of the Big Brothers Big Sisters Partners at Lunch program. More volunteers are needed. (TERESA STOWELL/Daily Times)

Fourth-grader Cody Wellman gave his lunch partner Jane Lyons of Watertown a big hug Monday after their visit at Douglas School. The two have not only spent lunch together for the past four years, they have become close friends.

Lyons and Wellman were paired together through the Big Brothers Big Sisters Partners at Lunch program. The school-based mentoring program is an opportunity for a volunteer to share lunch with a child one day a week and help the child develop a more positive attitude toward school.

Betsy Bright, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Dodge County and the Watertown community, said the program has a number of benefits.

“Students with mentors make a greater effort to get to school and improve their attendance,” Bright said. “One student said she bought her own alarm clock to make sure she would be there. Children have also said they make sure they get their homework done so they can do other things during their visit.”

According to a recent study 64 percent of students in the program developed more positive attitudes toward school. A total of 58 percent achieved higher grades in social studies, languages and math and 60 percent improved relationships with adults. A child's self confidence, trust in teachers, and expression of feelings have also been know to improve with a lunch mentor.

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Children and mentors meet once a week for lunch at school. After eating they have the opportunity to play board games, read, or go outside on the playground. This is an in-school program, so no in-person contact is to be made outside of school.

Currently there are 20 children paired in Watertown at Douglas, Lincoln, Schurz and Webster schools, and Riverside Middle School. There are also Partners at Lunch programs in Dodgeland, Hustisford and Horicon schools. There is still a need for additional mentors in the Watertown district with 12 boys and four girls on a waiting list.

Lyons said she saw an article in the Daily Times four years ago about the program and thought it was something she could do while retired from teaching at St. Mark's Lutheran School.

“I missed the interaction with children,” Lyons said. “Also I have a grandson the same age as Cody who lives far away and I rarely see him, so sometimes I think about what Cody is doing and think Nick would be doing the same thing.”

Lyons is one of six retired teachers in the lunch mentoring program. All different types of people in the community volunteer their lunch hour once a week as a mentor including those who work every day to stay-at-home mothers.

“It's so easy and rewarding,” Lyons said. “I honestly don't know why every retired person isn't doing this. You go out to eat with your friends once a week, so go eat with a little friend once a week.”

Bright said those who may be considering to volunteer with the traditional community Big Brothers Big Sisters program can try the Partners at Lunch program first, which has less of a time commitment. The traditional program includes three to five hours with a child each week.

During Lyons and Wellman's weekly lunch they enjoy talking about what they did over the weekend and what he is doing in school. On Monday Wellman told Lyons about his Halloween costume and trick-or-treating. On special occasions Lyons brings treats for Wellman. Monday he received candy, a special pen and pumpkin decorations. Lyons' mother also sends along treats for the fourth-grader. She also makes sure to bring treats for Wellman's siblings.

“One time Mrs. Lyons brought fortune cookies left over from her mother's birthday party,” Wellman said. “I consider her my grandma.”

After lunch the two often play Battleship but many times Lyons will bring activity pages from the Daily Times for him to play with. Monday he worked on a word search and maze in the Halloween special section of the Daily Times.

At the end of the lunch session the two talked about the importance of saying thank you while Wellman wrote a note thanking Lyons' mother for some of the treats.

“I always say thank you when I go out trick-or-treating,” Wellman told Lyons. “My little brother is too young to know about that, but I'm working with him.”

For more information about the Partners at Lunch program or to become a volunteer, contact Bright at 261-2315.