Honoring Our Volunteers
NationalVolunteerWeek was a time to celebrate the impact
of volunteer service on our communities. The local events,
volunteer projects, and social media conversations, that took
place between April 15th – 21st, demonstrated that volunteer
service unites, brings people together to tackle society’s tough
challenges, sparks change, and builds stronger, more resilient,
communities.
The Suncoast Campaign for Grade-Level Reading (SCGLR)
wants to recognize the volunteers who are making a meaningful
difference by addressing the most common issues, and
obstacles, that impact a child’s ability to read.
On April 3rd, the SCGLR assembled Kindergarten Readiness
bags to be distributed to children in Manatee County. All the
materials were laid out in a large room at Manatee Technical
College and, like magic, with the help of United Way Suncoast,
and highly motivated volunteers from Publix, the thousands of
learning tools became 1,500 Kindergarten Readiness Bags.
Each tote bag contained magnetic letters, jumbo crayons,
ashcards, books, drawing pads, erasable alphabet charts, and
a pamphlet entitled, Kindergarten Readiness: Practical Skills
Every Child Need As They Enter Kindergarten
The SCGLR then distributed the bags in partnership with The
School District of Manatee County and the Early Learning
Coalition of Manatee County. The materials included in the
bags were provided through the generosity of The Patterson
Foundation. These bags are given to the families of incoming
kindergartners with the intention of helping to prepare them for
school by strengthening their basic skills.
Manatee County parents and educators have listed increased
parent engagement as one of their most important aspirations.
National Education Association (NEA) research shows that
family engagement in schools improves student achievement,
reduces absenteeism, and restores parents’ condence in their
children’s education.
Students with involved parents or other caregivers earn higher
grades and test scores, have better social skills, and show
improved behavior. Teachers and parents working together as a
team give children their best pathway to success. The interactions
between parent and child when using the Kindergarten
Readiness Bags will build literacy, increase parent engagement,
and lead to better outcomes for our most vulnerable children.
We asked a few volunteers what inspires them to serve. Here’s
what they had to say:
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Kathy Walker Van Citters: “Hands down, the best-paying
and most important job I’ve ever had is as a reading tutor in
rst grade at Visible Men Academy. Technically, it’s a volunteer
gig - no money is involved - but paychecks come in the boys’
smiles and unreserved trust. When one of my little guys uently
reads a book to me that I had to read to him a few months ago,
it’s a bonus payday.”
Marjie Peter: “It has been a treat to work with Laurel Hinds and
all our Tuttle Turtles. The kids report to our desks with various
degrees of eagerness. The kindergartners are proud to show
the progress they have made during the last week with their
reading skills, while the 3rd graders sometimes simply want to
plow through as quickly as possible.”
SCGLR celebrates the wonderful volunteers who are making
a difference in our region. Thank you for lending your time,
talent, and voice to support the causes you care about!