Summer Reading Volunteers Shine

WAITSBURG - Rosie Ware- hime, the manager of the Weller Public Library, said local kids had a ball during the summer reading program thanks to local volunteers who lead activities, hula hooped to the point of exhaustion and provided a place for Waitsburg kids to have fun during the sum- mer months.

Warehime's helpers this summer at the library were Selena Bundy, Jaidyn and Zac Brown, Morgan Breland, Devon Watts, Tucker Alleman and Walt and Tim Ware- hime.

She said Jaidyn Brown, Zach Brown, Watts, Bun- dy and Breland took on leading the activities for the pre-readers and beginning readers in the morning summer reading programs.

With the children, these volunteers made molding clay, chocolate pudding that looked like dirt, cre- ated and tested out hula hoops, read to the children and had drawings for prizes.

"The hula hoops were the best," Warehime said.

The afternoon program for older, more indepen- dent readers included fun projects like making wal- lets and bracelets out of duct tape, popping popcorn and making sugary, iced slushy drinks. Also, Walt and Tim Warehime constructed the Free Library boxes, placed out- side of the library and in Preston Park, for residents to borrow or donate books any time they like. The summer reading program kids painted the boxes bright yellow.

"They had a ball," she said.

She also remembers playing Bingo for hours and hours. She said she had forgotten how much fun that game was.

The volunteers and Warehime planned to have about 30 children participate in the programs each Thursday, and she aver- aged about 20 children in attendance, she said.

"That was a really good turnout," Warehime add- ed.

Finding the volunteers was relatively easy. Zach and Jaidyn are Ware- hime's grandchildren who already spend quite a bit of time at the library, she said. Watts had also been helping out at the library throughout the school year. Those three brought along some friends to help out.

Warehime said for her first summer hosting a reading program at the library, her volunteers helped her make it a suc- cess.

"It just worked out re- ally well for my first time doing a summer reading program," she said. "I couldn't have done it without them helping me."

Bundy, who also helped put label covers on books and made book place holders this summer, was happy to volunteer for the summer reading program.

"It was something to do," Bundy said.

She added that she graduated from Waitsburg High School in June with 435 hours of community service under her belt and helping out is just something she enjoys.

"I just love volunteer- ing," Bundy said. "It makes me feel good."

The final day of the summer reading program, on Aug. 2, the children and volunteers had pizza and watermelon in the park and played games and went through obstacle courses.

"It was a fun last day," Bundy said.

Throughout the summer, she said she learned the younger children are often more mature than the older kids, so the after- noon programming was sometimes a little hectic. But, all of the kids came to the library ready to have a good time.

"They had a lot of fun and were willing to do whatever we were going to do that day," Bundy said.

The reading program is over for the summer, but children can still attend story time hour from 10:30 to 11 a.m. on Thursdays. Children are welcome to come by the library when it's open on Mondays and Thursdays to read, use the computers and play with building blocks and construction straws, Warehime said. She said the library is a popular place to be and on a recent Monday the library floor was full of kids having fun with books and toys.