Tami Loves Volunteering at the ECS Center
Tami Isaak has been a volunteer with the Foster Grandparent program for nearly 9 years now. Each day you’ll find her caring for the infants and toddlers at AWARE’s Early Childhood Center with a great big grin from ear to ear.
“I just love working here because it brings so much joy to my life,” said Tami, “I get to spoil the kids with extra attention and help them grow.”
As a foster grandparent, Tami is an extra set of arms for the teachers in the classroom. If a child is having a hard time or needs a little extra help, Tami can take them off to the side and read them a book or sit and rock in a chair with them. It’s something she thoroughly enjoys.
“Seeing the kids and their smiles is my favorite part,” said Tami.
She puts a lot of thought into the care she provides at the center and has learned to break things down in ways the kids can understand. Tami is sure to demonstrate the different sounds each animal makes as she reads books and is careful to point out colors as she reads the words.
“Even if they don’t understand what you are saying right then, they’re still absorbing all that information and it’s really neat to see it just click when they do eventually put it together,” said Tami.
Tami originally heard about the Volunteer Foster Grandparent Program from a friend and she’s glad she did. She says it gives her purpose in life and gets her up and going every day.
“It’s been great to watch the different groups of kids over the last 9 years,” said Tami, “They develop an ability to read at such an early age now and it opens up a world of possibilities once they can grasp those basic things early on.”
When asked about the impact AWARE’s Early Childhood Center has made on her own life, Tami beamed with gratitude.
“I’m just a happier person now and I have a new perspective on life,” said Tami.
If you’d like to learn more about becoming a foster grandparent and working alongside Tami, please click here.
*You may recognize Tami from a few months back when she starred in this video as part of celebrating 25 years of Early Head Start at our Butte location.
Check it out here: