A local church tutoring service is seeking volunteers from the community, as well as more children to tutor.

Jennifer Rayborn Seals said the Monroe Street Baptist Church is currently offering free tutoring to any child from first through fifth grade Tuesdays and Thursdays. The program focuses on tutoring children in small groups, and in order to expand they need more adult volunteers.

“We are signing up kids,” she said. “The problem is, I don’t know how many more kids we can take on, because we only have three tutors. It’s on Tuesday and Thursdays and a child can only come once a week. We have 16 kids signed up now. We don’t have more than three in a group, but we can handle a few more kids on Thursday.”

Seals said anyone who can pass a background check can sign up as a tutor.

“We’ve tried to promote this for retired teachers who have some free time in the afternoon,” she explained. “But, if you’ve helped your child do fourth grade math at night, then you’re probably qualified.”

Seals added they also need volunteers who can just help supervise the kids.

“We need volunteers to help serve snacks and help clean up at night,” she said.

Seals said the program began in February and it is sponsored by the Louisiana Baptist Convention as well as some area churches.

The program runs from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. and it is free for any eligible child, though they do not provide transportation.

“They come in and they have a snack and we break them into groups. For kids who are more severe cases, like if they’re autistic, we work with them one-on-one and we work with them for 45 minutes and then we switch,” she said. “The ones who aren’t studying, they’re listening to Bible study or doing a craft and then they go out and play.”

Seals said anyone who would like to sign up their child or volunteer should call the church at 985-732-3551. The church is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to noon, but Seals said if no one is there then leave a message and someone will return the call.

The church is located at 1412 Monroe St., although the tutoring center is across the street from the church building.