Left to right: Brianna Listol, Krystal Lunsford, Brian Latsch, Ellen Ellefsen, Carlos Pelaez, Amanda Heelein, Stephen Kaiser. Not pictured: Mark Cambier
Zimbrick Fish Hatchery Road and Aldo Leopold Elementary School are doing lunch.
The Zimbrick Volunteer Network has launched their second project, the Lunch Buddy program, which focuses on building connections with local youth in the Madison community. Employees of the car dealership campus at Zimbrick Fish Hatchery Road have gone back to school to become Lunch Buddies.
What exactly is a Lunch Buddy?
The Lunch Buddy program at Aldo Leopold Elementary is geared towards providing students with individual attention and support through one-on-one time. While eating lunch, playing games and joining them at recess, volunteers are having an influence on the lives of children by being positive role models.
“They say that children may forget what you say and what you did, but they will never forget how you made them feel,” said Stephanie Herrera, social worker intern at Aldo Leopold Elementary. “The Lunch Buddy Program gives Leopold students an opportunity to feel free to be themselves around a caring adult who is constant in their friendship and accepting of who the child is.”
Herrera was instrumental in helping Zimbrick integrate into the program by providing training at the dealership and coordination with the parents of the students. All volunteers underwent a brief orientation and application process before officially becoming Lunch Buddies.
“The Lunch Buddy program has been an interesting experience, and I’m impressed with how organized everything is,” said Mark Cambier, sales consultant at Zimbrick Honda. “My buddy is starting to open up to where I know his nickname, some of his likes and dislikes and who his friends are. He even asked me where I was when he didn’t come to school one day.”
Lunch Buddy volunteers meet once a week with an elementary school student grades kindergarten through fifth grade. Children that fit well into the Lunch Buddy program are usually one positive role model away from being well-behaved students. Sandra Rivera, Aldo Leopold’s full-time social worker, says that bond of friendship is often all that is needed.
“Leopold’s Lunch Buddy Program has been a successful, positive and fun partnership with Zimbrick,” Rivera said. “Zimbrick has brought something special to Leopold that students look forward to every week. I wouldn’t consider these adults just mentors, I would consider them friends of Leopold Elementary School.”
For more information on Aldo Leopold’s Lunch Buddy program and how you can get involved, contact Sandra at (608) 204-4249 or srivera@madison.k12.wi.us.
Tags: Aldo Leopold Elementary School, Zimbrick Fish Hatchery Road, Zimbrick Volunteer Network, ZVN
[...] Lunch Buddy program at Aldo Leopold Elementary is geared towards providing students with individual attention and [...]
[...] This project is the first in a series of once-quarterly, one-time projects that Zimbrick will participate in around Dane County. In addition to these projects, the Zimbrick Volunteer Network also participates in once-weekly Meals On Wheels deliveries with Independent Living of Dane County and mentoring and tutoring at Aldo Leopold Elementary School. [...]