Volunteer of the Week - Linda Foust

Introducing Linda Foust, our very special Volunteer of the Week! Linda is one of our most dedicated volunteers, having worked with her two students for almost two years. We always look forward to reading her volunteer logs which are filled with wonderful details from her lessons. Her students have come so far, in part due to Linda's incredible consistency as a volunteer. We are so happy she is a part of the Refugee Transitions family, and look forward to hearing her updates on her students' progress! See below for our interview with Linda!

Name: Linda Foust
Neighborhood: Montclair Hills in Oakland
Job: Freelance editor and writer
RT programs/events you’ve participated in: I've been tutoring Lin Aung and Naw Htoo since September 2009, and they started with almost no English. Together we have hiked in the hills a few times, gone to a Karen wrist-tying ceremony, played BINGO at a senior center, and visited the Oakland Zoo, the Oakland Museum, and the California Academy of Sciences. I've also gone to the meetings of our "Burma section" of Refugee Transitions, where I've picked up tips and materials.

What are your hobbies? I write and am in a writing group, make stained glass, paint with acrylics, do other arts, make jewelry, garden, read and am in a book group, do yoga, exercise, go to theater, travel, volunteer at Clausen House Thrift Store on Friday afternoons, take care of 4 cats.
What is your favorite book? To quote something I read on the internet recently: "That's like taking me to the federal mint and asking me which is my favorite thousand dollar bill. I guess my favorite book is the one I'm reading now. And then tomorrow, it will be the one I'm reading then." That said, I have reread Report to Greco by Nikos Kazantzakis many times during my life, and I get something new out of it every time.
If you could have dinner with anyone, past or present, who would that person be? This is sort of like asking about my favorite book. It's so hard to choose. Right now I would say Mark Twain. He was genuine, funny, wise, and deep, and he was a great writer.
If you could travel anywhere, where would you go, and what would you do? I would go to Burma, and, in fact, I plan to go there next winter. I have loved traveling in Southeast Asia but have not been to Burma yet, and tutoring my Karen students really makes me want to see their homeland. The government is horrible, but I believe the people are wonderful. I want to see as much of the country as possible, to visit the Buddhist shrines, to experience daily life there. I will be traveling with a Swedish friend of mine who is 81 years old but very spry!
If you could instantly learn how to do anything, what would that be? Another "favorite book" type of question! There are so many things I would like to know how to do: For now, I'll say I'd like to play the cello well.
Who has been the most influential teacher in your life so far? There have been many, from high school English teachers to my father, who gave me the love of travel. I think in the end that aging has taught me the most, as I look back and contemplate past experiences and interpret them in the light of what I know now.
What has been your favorite/most rewarding moment as a volunteer with RT? My students are just the best people. About six months ago they gave me a note that someone helped them write, thanking me for being a "good teacher" and a "kind person." That meant so much to me. They sometimes insist that I take some food with me after class. They've learned what I eat and offer me fruit or cheese, and sometimes I've shared a meal with them in their house.

Student Voices - Si Poe

From volunteer tutor BB Borowitz:

All of these stories were inspired by a game we played with a grab bag of little plastic animals and toys :) Si Poe would close her eyes and reach in the bag and pull out three toys and then tell a story about them while enacting the story with the toys.  I would write the story as she was telling it, then read it back to her, then she would read it to me. When all the stories were written, I typed them up and put them in a little book, which she titled and colored. She was very proud of this.  One day Si Poe told me she wanted to read a story to her class so I wrote a letter to this effect to her teacher.  Indeed, her teacher let her read and Si Poe chose the "Duck, Spider and Spoozz the Monster Eat a Duck" story below. When I saw her that week Si Poe was so excited about having read to her class! Here are all of her stories based on the grab bag of toys.

THE MONSTER, THE TURTLE, AND MOUSE 

The turtle went to see a flower. Then she saw a flower. The monster turned into the flower. The turtle wanted to eat the flower. The mouse walked but the turtle walked faster.  Then she pushed the mouse down.

The mouse said, "Why did you push me down?"
"I'm sorry," the turtle said. "Can you be my friend?"
"OK.  Let’s go play together.  Let’s go see the flower."

THE TWO MONSTERS 

The two turtles went to see a book.  Then she saw the Tessie book.  Then the monster turned into the book. Then the green turtle fell down and died.  The monster ate her.

The red turtle said, "Why did you push my friend down?"

The monster came and ate the red turtle.  The red turtle died. Then the monster ate the turtle’s hands and feet and head and tail and eyes.

THE HORSE ON THE CHAIR 

The horse sits on the chair. Then the truck comes and pushes the horse down. The horse said, "Why did you push me down?" Then the horse sat on the chair again. The truck came and pushed the horse again. Then the horse had to go to the hospital. The horse stomped on the truck. Then she pushed the truck down.

THE SLEEPING BEAUTY

The sleeping beauty has to go get married.  Then she went to the prince. Then they got married in the castle. Then they go home.

DUCK, SPIDER, AND SPOOZZ THE MONSTER EAT A DUCK

The duck went to walk. Then the spider and the green monster and the pink monster were going to eat the duck. Then the duck run run run. Then the three monsters ran ran ran. Then the pink monster was going to eat the duck.  The pink monster ate the duck. Then the spider ate the duck. Then the green monster ate the duck.

THE THREE LITTLE PIGS

Once upon a time there were three little pigs. And the three little pigs decided to build their own house.  One pig built a house with hay. Another pig built a house with sticks.  Another pig built a house with bricks. 

The wolf came and said "Little pig, little pig, let me in."
"No, no, no, I won’t let you in."
"Then I will blow your house down."

The hay fell down. Then the pig ran ran ran. Then he went to her little brother’s house. The wolf ran after the pig. Then the pig stopped. 

The little brother said, "Come in. Don’t just stand there." The wolf said, "I will blow your house down." The sticks fell down. The two pigs ran ran ran.  And they went into the big brother’s house.

And the big brother said, "Don’t just stand there. Come in." The wolf stopped where the pigs were.  The wolf said, "Little pig, little pig, let me in."

"No. No. No, I won’t let you in."

The wolf tried to blow the house down but it won’t blow down. The wolf said, "I’m going to jump into the house." Then the wolf jumped on top of the house where the pigs were cooking. The wolf jumped in the chimney. He caught on fire. That’s the end of the story.

RT Volunteer Hope Richardson - Featured on KQED

Thomas Gorman/KQEDHope has been an RT tutor since 2007.  She works with a Burmese family in Oakland as a home-based tutor, and also serves as an RT Team Leader and camp counselor.

Hope was recently featured on KQED's state-wide radio program, The Cailfornia Report. The interview is part of a series called "The Giving State" that highlights volunteers throughout California.

Please click here to access the interview and lsiten to Hope's insights about being a home-based tutor!