Tulsa's Little Lighthouse Kids Need Volunteers - NewsOn6.com - Tulsa, OK - News, Weather, Video and Sports - KOTV.com |

A Tulsa school that works with special needs kids is putting out a call for volunteers. The Little Light House says it's running short on volunteers for a new program.

The Little Light House first opened its doors in 1972. This year it's starting a new program with the goal to have one volunteer for each of its special needs children.

Four-year-old Christian Bustos has Down's Syndrome. He's about to start his second year at the Little Light House.

Christian's mother, with her daughter acting as an interpreter, told us the school has had a profound impact on his life.

"Before he came here he wasn't able to do certain things like jump, talk, walk," said Angelica Bustos, Christian's sister.

Teachers and volunteers spent Monday preparing for Wednesday's first day of school. Sixty-four kids attend Little Light House but another 100 are on the waiting list.

School officials say a big reason for the school's success are the volunteers.

Monday saw another group of volunteers going through a training class. Frank Baxter has volunteered for 15 years.

"I just feel like God's placed me here and the mornings I don't get up and come here, I'm not happy," said volunteer Frank Baxter.

This year the school is launching a new program and needs even more volunteers. They want each child to have their own volunteer: one-on-one support to give the student a firm foundation to grow and learn.

"Volunteers are vital and crucial to the development of these kids," said Molly Smith of the Little Light House. "If we didn't have volunteers we wouldn't have enough help to help these students achieve their goals."

Smith says that, as of Monday, they have 100 volunteers but need at least another 40.

The school schedule is Monday through Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 1:15 p.m., but you don't need to be available that entire time to volunteer.

The school means a lot to Christian's family. They say it's evident that everyone here cares about the growth of these kids.

"These are really good people that help out a lot, have a lot of love for these babies or these children that come to this school," said Angelica Bustos, sister of Little Light Gouse student Christian.

If you're interested in volunteering at the Little Light House, go to their web site.