Breakfast Buddies provide boost to elementary students

Some Orange County elementary school students are receiving extra help over their eggs and bacon.

The Orange County Office on Youth (OCOOY)-supported Breakfast Buddies program is alive and well at Gordon-Barbour and Orange elementary schools helping students dozens of students. The program began in 1999 and is a mentoring program pairing adult volunteers with students. The volunteers meet and talk with the students for 30-minutes once each week, helping them with homework or just playing games.

At Gordon-Barbour Elementary School, principal Jen Curtis said approximately 12 students are enrolled in the program with buddies ranging from retired community members, local business owners and workers, police officers and parents.

 At Orange Elementary School, the story is much the same. OCOOY Director Alisha Vines said about a dozen students participate annually. She said the enrollment numbers are determined by the volunteer numbers. She said some children may be identified for the program, but can’t participate due to the lack of available buddies.

“We’re always looking for more volunteers,” she said.

Vines said interested volunteers should visit the OCOOY website at http://orangecountyva.gov/officeonyouth/index.asp and fill out a volunteer application. She said volunteers do have to undergo a criminal background check, but once cleared, they will be placed with a school and the coordinator there will place them with a student in need.

Former Gordon-Barbour and Orange Elementary School Principal Bill Berry, who now serves as the director of elementary instruction, said the program is a positive one.

“This is a beneficial program in that it provides a role model for students to look up to,” he said. “Adult buddies and students alike look forward to the time they spend together in the mornings. In some cases, these relationships continue throughout the child’s life.”

While the Breakfast Buddies program currently is only at two of the county’s six elementary schools, Vines said she hopes to expand into other schools in the future.

“The Breakfast Buddies program is [great],” she said. “The students look forward to interacting with their buddies and eating breakfast with them.”

For more information on the program, visit http://orangecountyva.gov/officeonyouth/index.asp or call Vines at 672-5484.