Tutors Aim Struggling Students at Success

Years ago, when Barbara Abouchar was teaching in Orange County classrooms crowded with struggling students, she often ended her days exasperated and exhausted.

“I always thought that one day I’d like to do something extra to help students,” the now-retired teacher said.

Mission accomplished.

Since 1989, Abouchar has run Homework House, an after-school tutoring program for disadvantaged kids throughout Orange County.

Homework House received $15,000 from the 2004 Times Holiday Campaign, which raises money for nonprofit groups that assist disadvantaged children and youths in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura counties.

Today, Homework House operates at 13 churches and community centers throughout Orange County and serves about 300 pupils in first through 10th grades.

Almost all of the youths enrolled are at least one year behind in their studies and are from impoverished families. Four days a week, the program’s 150 tutors provide snacks for the students and then begin working with them, usually one-on-one, on their homework.

“We’re a little bit of everything for these kids -- tutors, a safe environment,” said Marcia Marcinko, who helps run the program.

“I think of them like they’re my grandchildren,” Abouchar said.

Abouchar, 74, laughs at the memory of the program’s first few days when no one responded to the sign she hung outside her Orange church. It wasn’t until she added the word “Free” that parents started knocking.

“We’ve had more students than we can handle ever since,” Abouchar said with a shake of her head.

Marcinko said the Holiday Campaign would help boost Homework House’s nascent arts program, in which tutors take students to museums, symphonies and other cultural events. Film students from area colleges have also been invited to work with the youths, and Homework House recently held a World Food Night, for which youths prepared traditional dishes for their parents.

At the end of the day, Abouchar said she gets the greatest satisfaction from seeing a struggling child improve in the classroom.

“We’ve had some great success stories,” she said with a smile.

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HOW TO GIVE

The annual Holiday Campaign is part of the Los Angeles Times Family Fund, a fund of the McCormick Tribune Foundation. Donations supporting the campaign to help disadvantaged children and youths should be sent to L.A. Times Holiday Campaign, File 56986, Los Angeles, CA 90074-6986. Do not send cash.

Credit card donations can be made at latimes.com/holiday campaign. Information: (800) LATIMES, Ext. 75771.