South Central children still inspired by classroom volunteers five years after civil unrest   LOS ANGELES, CA (BUSINESS WIRE) - Nine-year-old Derreck Moore has a special friend in John Washington. To Derreck, the 45-year-old marketing executive is a tutor who helps him spell big words, a mentor who inspires him to come to school, a role model who meets him at church. To Washington, the fourth-grader from the 75th Street Elementary School is one of the many South Central kids who need living proof that education is the only roadmap to success. Volunteers come to the classroom Washington came to the 75th Street Elementary School through an employee volunteer program started by Pacific Bell immediately after the 1992 civil unrest ripped through South Central Los Angeles. Unlike most corporate philanthropy, the Pacific Bell program brings sorely needed human resources into classrooms. "In a student's world, there is no equal to a one-to-one ratio," said Eiko Moriyama, partnerships director at the Los Angeles Unified School District. "This has been one of the missing links to the success of many students." Donating time instead of money is a new trend among corporations. According to a report by the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy, "downsizing" has caused many corporations to rethink their support of nonprofits. In the committee's recent survey, 26 percent of responding companies said they now compensate for time off for volunteer work. Businesses view it as a way to increase their contributions budget, while strengthening employee morale. In the case of the Pacific Bell employee school volunteers program, the investment is paying off. LAUSD's Moriyama said attendance and student achievement have improved at the 68th Street and 75th Street elementary schools, Bethune Middle School and Fremont High School. "Although there is much poverty in the schools, money was never the answer to our challenge," she said. Since 1992, Pacific Bell has given employees two paid hours a week off the job to work with individual students in the classroom. To date, nearly 250 employees have spent 25,000 hours working with 6,000 children. The employees -- managers and non-salaried workers -- serve as tutors and teaching assistants. Employees with specialized knowledge become mini-course instructors on topics such as computer technology and employment preparation. In some instances, employees have worked with the same teacher for five consecutive years. "After the civil unrest, we wanted to help restore hope and self esteem to the youngest residents of South Central Los Angeles," said Charlotte Arrick, director of the Pacific Bell School Volunteers Program. "We knew money would help, but we felt we could really impact young lives if our contribution came with faces and hearts." Arrick said Pacific Bell evaluated 16 South Central schools before selecting 68th, 75th, Bethune and Fremont. While the schools have the routine challenges involving large class sizes, attendance and a transient student population, they also serve the same neighborhood so that students will graduate from the 68th and 75th Street elementary schools to Bethune Middle School to Fremont High. "Our program reaches the same students year after year, creating a strong sense of continuity and commitment," Arrick said. "Students have come to count on us because we're on their campuses every day from kindergarten through 12th grade." Students Receive One-On-One Attention The biggest classroom rewards are achieved by assigning volunteers to work one-on-one with an individual child or small group of children -- a luxury few teachers can afford. Ladyer Jones, third grade teacher at the 68th Street Elementary School, has noticed a "tremendous" student improvement, thanks to volunteer Willie Price. Price works with a small group of children who need special assistance with reading. "Attendance has been great in my classroom all year," Jones said. "Students anticipate Mr. Prices's arrival." Bethune Principal Edith H. Morris added that the volunteers' one-on-one work with students makes them feel "special," which has translated to improved self esteem, grades and classroom behavior. "The school volunteers shed a new light and image on students," Morris said. "They're role models." College-bound Autum Edwards said there's a positive energy coming from volunteer Earlene Jones. "She shows genuine interest so we give her genuine attention," Edwards said. "She helps us deal with criticism and problems." LAUSD's Moriyama said that prior to Pacific Bell's involvement in the classroom, students suffered from a lack of exposure and enrichment from the business world. "This new network of volunteer resources has helped teachers bring school-to-career insights to students," she said. Moriyama described the company's program as one of the largest volunteer initiatives at LAUSD, and one of just a few to release employees from their work responsibilities during the school day. As the company's employee volunteers celebrate five years in the classroom, Pacific Bell would like other local businesses to join its program -- or start their own -- so that the initiative can be extended to more schools.