Adored volunteer approaches two decades at elementary school

Eighty-one-year-old Wilbur Newman has spent many of his mornings for the past eighteen years doing things like laminating papers and making copies.

“I come almost every day of the week. I’ve had enough laminating to do to keep me busy,” Newman said.

Mr. Newman is a volunteer at Coker Elementary.

He started volunteering at the school when his grandsons, who are now grown adults, attended the school as Kindergarteners and third-graders.

He decided to stick around and help where he was needed.

“I just feel like I need to do something for the community. When you retire, you sort of feel like you left something behind and your usefulness isn’t there anymore. If you can get out and volunteer where you can help other people- it makes me feel better,” Newman said.

The teachers say they appreciate all Mr. Newman does; things like making copies, laminating paperwork, and even hand-delivering them to the classroom.

He says a lot has changed since he was in school, most notably technology.

“From the time we did everything on the chalkboard and maybe a tablet you had to write on. No copies were made. Now it’s copies, technology, and computers and all the work they do on the screens,” he said.

He said education is vital.

“I just believe education is necessary. The more education somebody has, the more questions they want to ask, the more things they learn,” Newman said.

Ten-year-old Owen Belford knows Mr. Newman from his assistance with the Robotics Club.

“You really don’t see it that much but it’s really cool because there is nobody else that comes here that is his age that helps us,” the fourth-grader said.

Mr. Newman said seeing students full of joy keeps him coming back every year. 

“Gosh, I guess I have never tried to put it into words. I enjoy being around them; I enjoy seeing their smiling faces. They are full of life and that’s the way kids ought to be,” he said.

Mr. Newman chuckles as he jokes that he will volunteer as long as they’ll take him.

Discover the NEISD way, where our volunteers help our students learn and grow.