Welcome to The Words Alive Reader, a regular newsletter keeping you up-to-date with the latest in how we've been connecting children, teens, and families to the power of reading. What have we been up to and how can you help? Read on to find out!
This newsletter, in addition to our blog and social media content, is written by us, a cohort of volunteers! Do you love writing and have an interest in helping Words Alive create this type of content? We'd love your help! Email us to learn more.
- Eli and Titiksha, Words Alive Volunteers
Help Us Give Learning Kits to Children & Families!
A woman holds up a backpack in front of a young child.
“Miss Ana is giving me books to learn.” An 8-year-old participating in Words Alive programs through our partnership with City Heights CDC and United Way of San Diego scribbled that short, powerful message in their journal.
Distance learning is providing challenges for teachers, parents, and students in different ways. Before the pandemic, 94% of public school teachers spent their own money on classroom supplies and now, some children are at home attempting to learn with few to no books or supplies around them.
Words Alive is here to help students, parents, and teachers all at the same time! Our Learning Kits are stocked with the tools students need to succeed: pens and pencils, stationary, scissors, and, of course, brand-new books. It takes just $125 to fund one Learning Kit for a child. If you’d like to help level the playing field for a child, donate here!
More Than 200 Page Turners?!
275 book reviews, 1141 hours volunteered, 28 new books added to curriculum, 229 Page Turners, and 177 reviews in progress!
We launched Page Turners last fall so that our Words Alive community could help us find new, diverse books to read with our students. Since then, over 200 volunteers have joined Page Turners, allowing us to add 28 new books to our programming!
Are you interested in joining a community of passionate readers who are helping us read and review titles? Click here to sign up to read a book!
We Could Use Your Help!
Dozens of cardboard boxes with the Words Alive logo.
To meet the changing needs of children, teens, and families because of the pandemic, we are looking for some specific (donated) expertise and thought you might be able to help:
Individuals interested in mentoring first-generation college students for the upcoming school year. In addition to general interests, to help meet needs of specific Scholars we're also seeking professionals with work experience in graphic design, the criminal justice system, or based in Portland, OR.
Pro-bono services from legal and public relations firms
App developers or website designers
Large, vacant storage unit (or garage) on the ground floor where we can accept, sort, and redistribute book donations safely on an ongoing basis
If you, or someone you know, is able to volunteer or donate in any of these ways let us know!
Join our Mission Marketplace!
A hand holding a heart filled with books above the words “Support small businesses!”
We know that, now more than ever, it's essential to support the small business owners in our community. If you own a business, restaurant, or even an Etsy store you can team up with Words Alive for our Mission Marketplace! We will promote your business throughout the month of October (or another timeframe that works for you!) in exchange for a portion of proceeds being donated to Words Alive in support of our mission. Win-win!
If you'd like to learn more about the Mission Marketplace, email us here!