RENEWport volunteers will be back outside Claiborne Pell Elementary School Wednesday morning, welcoming students on the first day of the 2026-27 school year for the second year of the group’s morning greeter program.
The greeters are at the Dexter Street school daily from 8 to 8:30 a.m. Volunteers also help open the Pell library before the school day so students can borrow and return books, a program that runs from 8:20 to 9 a.m. and starts in October.
“We’re excited to be back for year two, both in the library and as greeters,” said RENEWport Co-President Ellen Pinnock. “Year one showed us what a difference welcoming smiles and a few hours in the library can make.”
The Rev. Meaghan Kelly Brower, a Pell parent who volunteered in the library with second and third graders last spring, said she came away knowing what those grades like to read and where to find the graphic novels and the Harry Potter books. She said she enjoyed working alongside other volunteers and Pell staff.
RENEWport is recruiting for both programs. Information is at renewport.org/school-volunteers, or contact Sue Sipprelle at susansipprelle@renewport.org.
