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About A-OK

Welcome,

A-OK Mentoring-Tutoring, Inc. began in 2003 on a grassroots level and was entirely volunteer-driven.  After many years, in 2009, the program incorporated and only recently has supported a small, part-time, staff to administer the program. Volunteerism is the foundation on which the organization is built and it is the consistency of an adult relationship that the volunteers bring that is the crucial ingredient to helping the students served succeed in school.  

 

We are very glad you want to know more about volunteering with A-OK.  If you have an hour or two to spare once a week, you can make a difference. When you read the comments from teachers, students, and volunteers on this website you will see that the mentoring-tutoring services are meaningful to the students, provide a satisfying volunteer experience, and teachers see improvement in many areas when the student has a relationship with a mentor-tutor.  It is a win-win situation!  

Volunteer recruitment is on-going so please read on to learn more about

A-OK Mentoring-Tutoring, Inc.
 

Sincerely,

Susan Burger, MSW, LCSW-C

Executive Director

Our Staff

  • Chaya Kaplan, MSW, Founder –Chaya is a retired pediatric social worker and parent educator.  She began mentoring children in 1970 and co-founded A-OK in 2003. Chaya recently retired as the

Executive Director of the organization leaving a legacy of devotion to serving children in our community.

  • Susan Burger, MSW, LCSW-C, Executive Director – Susan is a Social Worker whose 34 year career has included working with and on behalf of children and families. Most recently, for 15 years, Susan was Director of a volunteer- driven organization in Baltimore. 
     

  • Rea Goldfinger, Administrator -  Rea is a lawyer by training and a retired Social Security Administration Analyst.  She has been with A-OK as a mentor for nine years.  She became the Administrator in 2011.

Board of Directors

  • Carole MacPhee, Chair

  • Leonard Vaughn, Treasurer

  • Nancy Berla, Secretary

  • Anne Yenchko, Board Member

  • Chaya Kaplan, Board Member

  • Cyndi Gula, Board Member

  • Rachel Qualls, Board Member

Our Volunteers

  • are often retirees, or working flex time or part time, or at-home parents.

  • genuinely enjoy children and are interested in the success of all students.

  • are flexible, friendly and positive. 

  • can be counted on.

  • give 100% of their attention to the students when they are together. 

Our Students

  • can make good use of additional, dependable adult attention. 

  • may need improvement in academics, behaviors, social development, and/or self esteem. 

  • may be dealing with a stressful life situation (e.g. a seriously ill family member.)   ​

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