Dear Words Alive Community,
Words Alive was founded on the premise that our youth, even while facing extraordinary challenges, can – and will – benefit from the power of reading. For over two decades Words Alive has shown that reading strengthens our mental well-being, creates positive changes in our lives, and builds community. These lessons ring truer today than ever before.
As we navigate the unprecedented situation caused by the COVID-19 virus, Words Alive is bringing our expertise and resources to the forefront to help our community use their love of reading to navigate this turbulent time.
Words Alive has expertise in areas where we are seeing need: resources to engage teens, helping families connect stories to the power of play, and access to books in San Diego’s homes. In response, today we launch our "Books Connect Us" campaign with three new projects:
QuaranTEENS: An online platform designed to help teens address, cope with, and digest our current situation through reading and writing. Teens will find author talks, writing prompts, stories, video challenges, and more on the site.
Story Station: Providing engaging online resources to help families create positive interactions despite stressful school and daycare closures. Families will find live storytelling and recorded stories, accompanied by activities to encourage play and celebrate learning at home.
Book Deliveries: As families make brief stops around their neighborhoods, Words Alive is working to pre-position books at each location for their home libraries. In just the past 24 hours we have given away more than 1,000 books that families will find available at feeding sites and Little Free Libraries around San Diego.
Learn more about these projects here: www.wordsalive.org/booksconnectus. Check back for daily updates with new content.
How You Can Help
Research shows us that readers, because we read, often have a strong understanding of our shared humanity and common struggles. Today, we’re facing a common struggle unlike any we’ve seen before. As a community of readers, we can act on our strengths and our love of reading to bring solace, comfort, and moments of normalcy to children, teens, and families. Here are ways you can help.
1) Virtual and At-Home Volunteer Opportunities
We have a growing list of virtual and at-home opportunities to support #BooksConnectUs including:
Arts & Crafts*: Help with craft and sewing projects
Book Drives*: Replenish our supply of books to fuel book deliveries with gently-used books or organize an online book drive using our Amazon Wishlist
Content Creators: Develop prompts, activities, and responses for our online Story Station & QuaranTEENS pages
Curriculum Writers: Write curriculum to support new titles to be added to our programs
Little Free Libraries*: Refill Little Free Libraries in your neighborhood with books from Words Alive
Page Turners: Read stories and complete short reviews to help us identify titles to include in our curriculum
Social Media: Share resources and opportunities with your network
For details, visit www.wordsalive.org/booksconnectus and click on Virtual Volunteer Opportunities. Our volunteer coordinator, Robyn Grand, is ready to help and can be reached at [email protected].
*For projects that involve physical materials, Words Alive has a plan in place to observe precautions as outlined by the CDC, such as limiting contact, protecting skin, and observing quarantined timelines for surfaces.
2) Donate
This is hard to ask in such a volatile economic climate, but knowing the importance of the hope, inspiration, and resources Words Alive can deliver in the coming days and weeks: Will you consider making a donation to Words Alive today?
I’d like you to consider joining those donors who make recurring monthly gifts, whether it be $5 or $500, which will enable us to plan and deliver Words Alive’s programs as our new normal continues to shift.
You can donate or set up your recurring gift online. Our donor engagement manager, Christina Meeker, is ready to help and can be reached at [email protected].
Our Words Alive community is strong, motivated, and deeply compassionate - and for that I, and our 8 person-staff, are deeply grateful. If there is anything we can do to help or support you and your family, please do reach out.
Best wishes for health and safety,
Rachael Orose, MPA
Executive Director
p.s. The Words Alive staff is working remotely through this situation. We are all best reached via email. Our email addresses can be found online. You can also leave a message on our voicemail – 858-274-9673 –and we will do our best to return it as soon as possible.