Volunteer Awards

Words Alive is honored to recognize these standout volunteers for helping to connect children, teens, and families to the power of reading.

Youth Volunteer of the Year: Jessie James Olesco

Jessie-James Olesco began volunteering with Words Alive as part of our partnership with E3 Civic High, the high school embedded in the San Diego Public Library. Jessie has contributed over 60 hours of service supporting program operations, inventory, data entry, information technology, and anything else asked of him at our downtown San Diego office. Jessie's passion for community service and thirst for knowledge comes across in every interaction, and the staff is incredibly proud of how much he has grown during his time with us. When asked about a time that he was impacted by his volunteer service, Jessie shared that he's learned how to bring a growth mindset to his projects after working closely with multiple team members. When he isn't volunteering at Words Alive, Jessie enjoys weightlifting, hanging out with friends, and making the most out of life. Congratulations, Jessie!

Engagement Volunteers of the Year: Steve & Gabrielle Heide

Steve and Gabrille Heide have been volunteering with Words Alive since February 2024. In that time, they have become a staple at our Wild Books service events, helping to get Learning Kits assembled and ready for community distribution. Steve and Gabrielle say that they are continuously inspired by the volunteers who support Words Alive and seeing so many people from all walks of life unite in support of such an important cause. Their passion for helping others fall in love with the incredible power of reading is evident in everything they do, whether they are supporting community outreach, helping to take our Learning Kit service projects on the road with our partners around the county, or participating in our Champions for Youth peer to peer fundraising campaign. When they aren’t busy volunteering with Words Alive, Gabrielle loves to garden, create art and collect children's books and Steve loves to cook. They were surprised to learn that several of our program books highlight stories about both gardening and cooking, which made them feel right at home at Words Alive. Congratulations, Steve and Gabrielle, for being named the 2025 Words Alive Engagement Volunteers of the year!

Curriculum Volunteer of the Year: Nanna Steffensen

Program Volunteer of the Year: Debbie Boyd

Debbie Boyd has volunteered with the Read Aloud Program for over a decade, spending an estimated 400 hours serving as a reading role model for young minds. Miss Debbie, as she is known to her students at Felicita Elementary, regularly went above and beyond to help show them the incredible power of reading by dressing up in different costumes that tied into the themes of the books she read to them. Was she going to arrive dressed as Belle from Beauty and the Beast? An astronaut ready to lead young explorers on an expedition of outer space? A penguin? Every week was a different adventure with Miss Debbie and she sure knew how to bring the fun!

Over the years, teachers raved about having Miss Debbie in their classrooms to help their students fall in love with reading. They often shared that students who traveled between multiple locations during the school year would regularly keep their “Miss Debbie books” in their backpacks. The students loved their books so much that they carried them with them to school every day rather than risk losing them. When Debbie retired from the classroom earlier this year, the entire school lined up outside to give her a final thank-you and send her off on her next adventure. Thank you, Debbie, for your dedication to supporting the next generation of readers and congratulations on being named the 2025 Program Volunteer of the Year!

Rookie Volunteer of the Year: Andrew Hawkins

Words Alive is thrilled to recognize Andrew Hawkins as our Rookie Volunteer of the Year! Nearly every staff member had a story of how Andew has gone above and beyond the call of duty. Andrew has supported five waves of the Family Literacy Program since beginning his volunteer service with Words Alive in 2024, and can also be found building Learning Kits at Wild Books, distributing program materials to program partners and school sites around San Diego, or representing Words Alive at community outreach events. He brings his enthusiasm, understanding, and joy to every Saturday morning session of the Family Literacy Program, serving as a reading role model for the families who attend each week. Thank you, Andrew, for connecting children and their families to the incredible power of reading and congratulations on being recognized as the Rookie Volunteer of the Year!

Volunteer of the Year: Meredith Baratz

Words Alive is honored to recognize Meredith Baratz as our 2025 Volunteer of the Year!

In the past year as the Chair of our Board of Directors, Meredith’s expertise in strategic leadership guided us through transformational moments in Words Alive’s history including the renovation of Words Alive’s new building in the East Village of San Diego into a true home and headquarters and leading the organization through a multi-year strategic planning process.  As with most complex endeavors, these projects continue forward in 2025.  Aligned with Words Alive’s core values, Meredith identified and engaged myriad voices in these initiatives to ensure Words Alive’s direction reflects the community we serve and our shared vision for a thriving community of readers.   Amidst these expansive projects, Meredith guided the organization with a steady hand during the unexpected medical leave of our executive director, spanning nearly all of 2024.  Meredith worked daily with the Board of Directors, interim leadership, staff, and volunteers to navigate this complex transitional time.  

In addition to her countless hours of Board service, Meredith supported the development of curriculum used in our programming, editing more than 100 curriculum guides used by Words Alive classroom-based volunteers.  She actively reviews titles for use in future curriculum as part of our Page Turners program and frequently attends in-office service events, helping prepare materials for distribution to children, teens, and families throughout San Diego.  If that wasn’t enough, Meredith serves as a volunteer fundraiser through the Words Alive Champions for Youth campaign – securing more than 120 donations to the organization over the past four years.  

Meredith’s passion for Words Alive’s mission is evident in every interaction whether she is supporting the staff in their work, advocating for the children and families Words Alive serves, or editing curriculum. Thank you, Meredith, for your exceptional commitment, passion and devotion to Words Alive. Congratulations on being selected as the 2025 Volunteer of the Year!

Special Honorees

Thank you to our Champions for Youth Fundraisers

Words Alive was one of only five San Diego nonprofits selected to participate in 2024-25 Champions for Youth, a fundraising competition hosted by the Century Club of San Diego and Farmers Insurance. Thanks to the generosity and commitment of our fundraising team below, we raised over $137,898 to support our mission. Words Alive sincerely thanks everyone below who hosted a Champions for Youth fundraising page, as well as their network of family and friends who donated to connect kids to the power of reading.

Connect with Other Volunteers

Visit our Bookshop affiliate page if you’re looking to buy a new book while supporting Words Alive. Your investment in Words Alive makes a difference, perhaps now more than ever, in the lives of children, teens, and families. Thank you for your support!