Lee Ragsdale spent the last eight months volunteering by recruiting other volunteers for Mountainland Head Start, a program in Provo that helps children from low-income families prepare for future education. Head Start offers preschool classes for eligible children three to four years old. The organization also offers health services, social services and other family support.

“We love the help that Lee has given at Head Start,” said Jon Butler, assistant family service coordinator at Mountainland. “He has helped in several ways to recruit many of the more than 80 community volunteers that we had this last year.”

Volunteers at Mountainland Head Start are able to assist the children in the classroom. They have opportunities to help the students realize their potential and achieve their goals. Ragsdale believes that many of the children feel appreciated because of the care the volunteers provide.

“We try to lower the student to teacher ratio,” Ragsdale said. “The kids love it when you come to volunteer. Sometimes when you enter the classroom there is an uproar of excitement from the students.”

The Mountainland Head Start program is funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and other private donations. The children enrolled in the program qualify under federal poverty guidelines for this service. In the United States there are more than 19,000 Head Start centers that have enrolled more than 23 million children since it began in 1965. Last year the state of Utah had more than 5,000 students enrolled in Head Start and received $37 million in federal funding.

“Get involved with Head Start as soon as possible,” Ragsdale said. “They can always use more volunteers. Being able to make the kids smile and help them out makes this a great experience. You make them feel loved.”

To find out more information about Mountainland Head Start or to volunteer call 375-7981. For information on other service opportunities contact United Way of Utah County.