Thereasa Winnett

Being an effective volunteer can be challenging at times. If not given proper resources, preparation or training, volunteer efforts alone can be inadequate or insufficient. Thereasa Winnett, of Dunwoody, Ga, realized that good intentions and genuine commitments aren’t always enough to make a sustainable impact. Winnett created Teach One Reach One to help ministers, missionaries, teachers and parents educate at the K-12 level.
 
“I worked with all sorts of educational programs in the community where children were involved. What I realized over time was a lot of these programs and volunteers really wanted to help and were doing everything they could but they didn’t always have access to the proper resources or training,” Winnett explains.
 
Teach One Reach One was created to help equip these programs and individuals with the tools they need to create a lasting impression.
 
“We’ve created workshops, teaching blogs, lesson plans and activities for these programs to use and to help take these volunteers, that might not have a teaching degree, and give them the tools so they can be as effective as they can be.” Winnett says.
 
The lessons and resources Teach One Reach One creates incorporate spiritual growth, service, The Bible, basic literacy skills (language, math and science), health and survival skills. The lessons are hands-on, experiential and designed to have lasting and positive impact on the participants. Programs and volunteers with varying levels of resource availability are able to use the Teach One Reach One materials because of its accessibility.
 
“Our goal is to help all sorts of churches, faith-based communities, tutoring programs and mission teams. We’re in the process of beginning to translate our materials into other languages,” Winnett says.
 
She says Teach One Reach One keeps blossoming to meet the needs they encounter. As the organization continues to grow, Winnett and the team at Teach One Reach One delve deeper into diversified needs of the children in their community and beyond. This journey has inspired Winnett and fuels her passion for education and children.
 
It has been a truly rewarding experience for Winnett.
 
“We were field testing a lesson at a place in Atlanta that wokrs with Latino children. We taught the children how to take their kitchen scraps and plant them to help them grow food for their families. I thought ‘Will they even remember this next time I come in?’ It just blew me away when the kids came in and were still so excited and had nurtured their plants while I was gone,” Winnett continues. “That’s when it hit me, that this could have such an impact.”
 
Winnett is continuously working to provide effective and efficient educational tools to all of those in need of support or guidance. Teach One Reach One resources cover a vast range of subjects tailored towards ensuring positive and spiritual growth.
 
If you know someone like Thereasa Winnett helping volunteer efforts be as effective as possible nominate them today for the Daily Point of Light Award!