Georgetown Students Tutor Mothers In Recovery

Georgetown University professor Patricia O'Connor, Ph.D., connects student volunteer tutors with mothers receiving substance abuse treatment from Vanguard Services Unlimited.

O'Connor, once a board member at Vanguard, encouraged students in her writing class to volunteer by noting a meeting time on their papers if they expressed an interest in helping the disadvantaged.

The volunteers provide tutoring in GED exam preparation and various job skills, as well as writing assignments designed to benefit the mothers. "Our students are eager to help," said O'Connor. "Poetry reaches these women in ways that are exciting."

O'Connor is also working on a book proposal, tentatively titled Mending Our Ways with Words, which will focus on the "rehabilitative power of telling your life story," she said.

Last December, Representative James P. Moran (D- Virginia) presented O'Connor with the Unsung Heroines Award, honoring her dedication to helping those with substance abuse problems. The award included a $10,000 contribution to Vanguard.

As she increasingly focuses her energy on her new book, O'Connor seeks a successor to lead the Vanguard program. "I am replaceable," she said, "This effort has become something stable that the program can rely on."

(6/10/2005)