DePaul Intern Helms Wine & Cheese Info Session at Aquinas

DePaul University senior Matt Welsh is dedicating his summer to an internship at the Aquinas Literacy Center, including management of the upcoming Wine & Cheese Information Session between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Wednesday, July 13. Held at the center at 3540 S. Hermitage Ave., Chicago, the open house-style wine and cheese event lets the public learn about the mission of Aquinas and available volunteer opportunities.

This is the first such event for Aquinas, said Volunteer Coordinator Kristen Dempey Pasyk. "The idea came about so we could engage prospective volunteers during the summer months when our regular program is closed. We are excited to have Matt on board to plan the event, and we appreciate this opportunity to deepen our partnership with DePaul University by hosting one of their students as an intern."

Welsh is a public relations and advertising major who served two years on the DePaul Activities Board, which programs events for DePaul students. In his current role as coordinator, he manages weekly events for DePaul and hopes to incorporate this experience into programming for Aquinas. "The Wine & Cheese Information Session is very different from the types of events I am used to planning at DePaul," he said, "but I am up for the challenge and looking forward to the event."

Interning at the literacy center was appealing, Welsh said, because he appreciates the organization’s role in improving the lives of adult immigrants through English language instruction. For 20 years, the non-profit Aquinas Literacy Center has helped immigrants learn English from its facility in the McKinley Park neighborhood, and is always on the lookout for volunteers who are trained to be one-on-one English as a Second Language (ESL) tutors.

The Wine & Cheese Information Session will feature current tutors and other volunteers who can answer questions about volunteering and provide their personal experiences with helping others through the center. Interested attendees are asked to RSVP by either calling (773) 927-0512 or sending email to info@aquinasliteracycenter.org.