The Yonkers Crestwood Library has been home to many a volunteen, or volunteer teen, over the years (including the author of this interview!). The program allows local teens, ages 12-19, to get involved in and make a difference in our community while gaining valuable experience for their future. They assist with various library activities and programs, including: Chill out with Chess, Crafternoon, Film Fridays, LEGO Club, Read to Cooper, Snack and Read, Homework Help, and more!
Claire, Camille, and Marina are three such volunteens. All three are rising seniors at Ursuline High School and have been volunteering for about a year. On Tuesday, August 19th, while they were assisting with the Crestwood Seed Library, Crestwood staff member Hanora Woodruff took the opportunity to interview them about their experiences volunteering at the library. The correspondence went as follows:
H: What brings you to our Volunteen program? How did you hear about it, and how long have you been participating?
Camille: I heard about the volunteer program from Claire! I joined about a year ago. I think it was last August. I went with Claire because I needed hours for our high school, and I’ve just kept coming back!
Marina: I heard about the volunteer program from Claire as well. I also went to Annunciation School here in Crestwood, so I always knew about the local community and how the library was a big part of it.
Claire: Everybody hears through me, apparently. I’ve been coming to the Crestwood Library since I moved here when I was about 3 or 4 years old, so it’s just been a part of my life forever. When I got the opportunity to become involved in a more significant way, I thought that was a really nice chance for me to help grow and introduce new people to the library as well.
H: What does volunteering here mean to you? Do you find it especially fulfilling or meaningful? What is your favorite program/activity to help with here?
Camille: I would say that I find the activities at the Crestwood Library very fulfilling to volunteer for and be a part of. Whenever I come here, I feel like Z is able to take a very small task and tie it into something much more meaningful, like researching things in the county and setting up events for seniors. There’s a much larger impact than you would think.
Marina: I find volunteering here very rewarding, especially since I grew up in the neighborhood, so I was very excited when I had the opportunity to help out. My favorite part is probably assisting with the Homework Help program, which is something I started doing this spring. It helps me connect with the younger kids in the community who are just like me and attended the same schools that I did. I get to make an impact that’s visible outside of the library.
Claire: I agree with what Camille said, in that it’s really the small stuff that you do here that has some of the biggest impact. Setting up events for kids that allow them to explore who they are and try new things reminds me of myself years ago. It’s a very full circle moment.
H: What are your takeaways from volunteering? Did you cultivate any particular skills that will serve you well in the future? Do you have any core memories from the library that have had a noticeable impact on you?
Camille: I’d say that volunteering has definitely made me closer to some of my friends. It allows us to spend time together while also doing something meaningful. Coming to the library, I’ve been able to reconnect with things that I liked to do when I was younger, but don’t necessarily have the time for anymore, like playing chess or creating art.
Marina: I agree with Camille. I also feel like volunteering here has helped me make closer connections with my friends, as well as with the younger kids who come here on a daily basis during the school year. It’s definitely taught me patience and understanding, because it can get a bit chaotic and busy at times here at the library, but I have to think of it in terms of the bigger picture, where my one hour here could change their day.
Claire: I agree with what both Camille and Marina said, but I do wanna add that, personally, I love working with kids and I think they’re very fun and rewarding to be around. So, especially during the school year when I’m not at my summer job and I work with kids all day, I get to be with the kids in a less overwhelming environment. It’s great!
H: What are your college/career aspirations, and how do you think volunteering will help you achieve those?
Camille: I want to be a future political science major, and volunteering at the library has been very helpful for my college applications because I’m able to tie it back to certain social issues. Like today, while working on the Seed Library, we were discussing food insecurity. I think my time here has been very helpful for my future major.
Marina: I don’t have a decided major, but I’m thinking of working in the medical field, possibly nursing. That’s very different from volunteering here, but I feel like my connections with my peers as well as younger kids will help me with a hands-on job involving patients, as well as building compassion and empathy for them, which I have to have with the kids I help here.
Claire: I’m not totally sure I know what I wanna do job-wise, but I’m thinking about majoring in history and then working a job that involves working with people a lot. I just love being in environments where people are really trying to build each other up, which I’ve really experienced volunteering here. I also feel like volunteering here has improved my communication skills and my ability to help organize events and keep everything running smoothly.
We hope this interview has shed some light on the valuable help our volunteens provide. If any of our readers between the ages of 12 and 19 are interested, we encourage you to join us by filling out an application form!
Volunteens can serve at all three branches of Yonkers Public Library. Many volunteens help with programming and other tasks that keep the library organized such as making book displays, straightening out books on the shelf, and organizing supplies. Teens can complete community service requirements for school or religious organizations through YPL, and it can provide teens with a sense of responsibility similar to employment.
Hanora Woodruff is a Part-Time Clerk and patron of Yonkers Crestwood Library since childhood. She recently graduated from Stony Brook University with a degree in Biology and Creative Writing. Her favorite reads at the moment are Sylvia Plath’s poems.
Alison Robles, a Yonkers native, received an MS in Information and Library Science from the University at Buffalo. She works at the Crestwood Library and is an avid reader with a passion for YA lit, historical fiction, and fantasy.