By Brandon Conda, Words Alive Storytelling Intern
On Saturday, April 5, 2025, KPBS hosted its third annual Be My Neighbor Day at San Diego State University, and Words Alive was proud to be part of the celebration!
Children learned about the importance of kindness and service while Words Alive created interactive literacy activities for families that embodied this message.
Visitors discovered the powerful literacy initiatives Words Alive is implementing throughout the San Diego community.
Andrew Hawkins and Susan Schock represented Words Alive, reaching out to families at the event to connect them with literacy resources and facilitate important discussions about home reading practices. The range of programming from Words Alive excited parents who were eager to learn about opportunities to participate and ways to incorporate these resources in their homes.
Andrew made a lasting impression because several children remembered him from their previous Family Literacy Program sessions, which showed how Words Alive builds enduring community relationships.
As members of Words Alive’s Family Literacy Program, Andrew and Susan dedicate their time to reading with young children and their families while supporting the development of necessary literacy skills and self-confidence.
Visitors explored several sample books that are read in Words Alive’s programs while discovering Words Alive’s ongoing mission to inspire reading among people from every age group.
Children were also able to demonstrate their creative abilities at the Bookmark Station hosted by Words Alive’s Storytelling Intern Brandon Conda. Young people of all ages could create personalized bookmarks which served as interactive reading tools and reminders that books are for everyone to enjoy.
The Words Alive team thanks KPBS for the opportunity to interact with hundreds of families during Be My Neighbor Day. Families displayed enthusiasm for interacting with the Words Alive volunteers to ask about reading methods that could become part of their everyday routines. We appreciate everyone who visited to honor the strength of reading in building strong community ties!