HUNTLEY, Il – Leggee Elementary School’s popular Buddy program shut down when the coronavirus cancelled classes last spring. Now, with schools still shuttered for safety, the gap has widened between students in need and their volunteer lifelines, many of them Sun City residents.
“I have volunteers who have been with me since the beginning,” said District 158 Volunteer Coordinator Eileen Delahanty. “These people are like my family. I’m very concerned for them.”
Leggee is currently in remote learning mode, but, pre-pandemic, its hallways were dotted with cozy clusters of students and their Sun City Buddies learning reading and math one-on-one.
Volunteers like Sue Roth understand the opportunity they had to make a difference.
“When you see students who are not where the rest of the class is, you think, what can you do to help?” said Roth. “If you can read, there’s nothing you can’t learn, nothing that’s beyond you. It’s such a gift to be able to do that with the kids.”
In addition to academics, friendships blossomed, too.
“We’ll start talking about something,” said volunteer Judi Lynn. “Then they have something not related that they want to tell you, like ‘I just got a new shirt!’ or ‘It’s my birthday!’ I just love sharing their stories and hearing what’s important to them.”
Connection is key.
“A lot of times these children just need some grandma time,” said Buddy Joni Riley. “It isn’t all about what’s in that book. It’s letting them speak their minds and be candid with me.”
Leggee Principal Scott Iddings, who initiated the Buddy program, agrees.
“There was some good social, emotional learning happening,” said Iddings. “That was an unintended, very positive consequence.”
The loss of that connection is sharp.
“I miss the hugs,” said Roth. “I miss the engagement, seeing things through their eyes. There’s a big hole in my week because I’m not doing it.”
Volunteer Joyce Gatti lamented the sudden separation.
“I wanted to take them all home with me,” said Gatti of her kindergarten Buddies. “I was so sad when covid hit because I wanted to at least say goodbye. It was hard.”
Equally hard is waiting for word when Buddies and students can return.
“That’s a hard one to predict,” said Iddings. “We hope to get to a point where we can start bringing our volunteers into the building. We just don’t know exactly what that’s going to look like.”
It can’t happen soon enough for the volunteers.
“Leggee School is a happy place,” said Riley. “There isn’t a time that I have walked through any of the halls and did not see smiling faces.”
For now, Leggee’s hallways, like its classrooms, sit empty. But the bonds remain.
“Be brave,” is Roth’s message to her students. “It’s all different, but it’s not all bad.”
And it’s not permanent.
“I want them to know they’re not just volunteers,” said Delahanty. “What they give to our kids, the time and the attention. You can’t put a price tag on that. And I want everyone back.”
