Why I Donate, by Julie Moskovitz

When I was at UCLA, I became involved in community service as a member of Alpha Phi Omega. Of all the projects I participated in, the one that I enjoyed the most was Reading to Kids.

Reading to Kids was different. Everything just came together. Kids were happy and excited to be at school on a Saturday morning, and volunteers were dedicated and spent their time making sure my experience was great. And the impact that every single person was having on the kids was noticeable.

I volunteered off and on over the years, but the first month Reading to Kids was at Los Angeles Elementary was when I became hooked. I arrived, the Site Coordinator needed help, and I was a GLC for the first time. And I have been at Los Angeles ever since! Slowly I have become more and more involved. First it was volunteering at one of the social events, then joining a few committees, and before I knew it, I was the Special Events Committee Co-Chair!

The reason why I've become so involved is, at every level, from the smallest task to planning the Annual Comedy Night, I know I'm making a difference, and my time is valued. I've also made amazing friends along the way, which makes every event, every meeting, and every reading club even more rewarding.

The reason I donate to Reading to Kids is the same reason I volunteer. Every donation is going towards books, supplies, and staff, who work hard to make the reading clubs possible.

You can be sure that your donation will make an impact, make a difference, and in a small way, make the world a better place.

Be Inspired. Donate. www.readingtokids.org

Thank You August Readers!

Thank you August Readers!

Thanks to all the 361 volunteers who came out to read to the 910 students at our "Movies and Books" reading clubs.

Here is what some of our volunteers are saying...

"I truly do feel that the Reading to Kids programs really helps to open kids up to a whole new world that they may not have had access to otherwise. To see the looks on some of the kids faces as we read, is awesome and priceless."
-Bradford Benham, Kindergarten reader at Gratts Elementary

"I wish more volunteer programs were run by Reading to Kids: well organized, easy and fun to get involved in, and immediately rewarding for all participants. Bravo!"
-Myles Nye, 3rd Grade reader at White Elementary

"The fact that the kids come of their own volition makes their participation much better."
-Ernest E. Wolfe, Jr., 4th Grade reader at Magnolia Elementary

From Behind The Desk

In this week's of edition of "From Behind the Desk," Reading to Kids intern Natalie Shepherd looks back on her summer as a Reading to Kids intern.

On my last day as an intern, I can look back on my summer with Reading to Kids as a fulfilling and rewarding experience. I was able to do a lot of work behind the scenes, in the office, as well as more hands on work at the schools. Both arenas helped me learn a lot from my first internship with a non-profit organization.

Like any internship, my work in the office mostly consisted of what everyone else wanted to avoid – counting, spreadsheets, organizing, etc. While this sort of work would normally get old very fast, I found that I didn’t quite feel this way at Reading to Kids. I think the knowledge of the greater cause that Reading to Kids works towards made monotonous work feel more important and worth while. So, while plugging numbers into yet another excel spread sheet, keeping in mind all the children that this organization so positively affects, greatly deterred my instinct to complain, and instead made me feel like I was part of something special.

Though my hands-on experience was pretty much wholly excluded to Reading Clubs, which were amazing experiences in themselves, I was also able to serve as a teacher’s aid once at White Elementary. My day as a teacher’s aid was unquestionably my favorite day of interning. I was assigned to a fourth grade class, and my whole day was dedicated towards administering timed readings to the children one by one. I would set a timer for one minute, and the child would read as much as they could within that time, and I would underline any words that they could not read or could not comprehend. It was explained to me that these exercises help determine if the children are reading at the appropriate grade level, and, given that many of them come from non-English speaking homes, also determine their fluency.

While many of the children read perfectly well, it was very eye opening to see how far behind so many other children were – I remember one child didn’t understand the concept of vowels. After I did these exercises, I pulled some of the worst readers out of class for a more extensive exercise. For about an hour I was able to work with the child who did not understand vowels, and had a very hard time comprehending what he read. While I was technically only asked to evaluate him, another teacher had told me to go ahead and see how quick the child might pick up things I tried to teach him. It was such a great feeling to watch as the child began to understand concepts and strategies that before had confused him. It was an even better feeling to witness how excited he was about his progress. The whole experience helped me to realize how much I would like to work more directly with children in the future.

On a whole, my time with Reading to Kids did not only serve as something to place on a future resume, but it served as an experience that helped me get a better idea of what it is I want to do in the world. It is a remarkable organization and I am very happy I was able to be a part of it.

From Behind The Desk

In this week's of edition of "From Behind the Desk," Reading to Kids intern Analee Abbott discusses being a classroom helper at Esperanza Elementary.

Yesterday I had the pleasure of serving as a classroom helper for two different teachers at Esperanza Elementary School. Teachers are awarded classroom helpers when they are highest recruiters of students for our monthly clubs. As an intern, I spend a lot of my time behind a desk and in an office. Even when I spend time at the schools it is usually in a closet counting books or in the hallways posting flyers. I do not get to spend very much time directly interacting with the teachers and students at our partner schools.

In my first classroom I taped together cardboard dividers for testing season, entered grades onto the computer and put together a poster board full of pictures from a team building exercise the kids had participated in. In my second classroom I graded math tests (using a provided key) and helped a student master addition using coins and creativity. None of these things were hard (and a couple were not particularly thrilling) but it felt good to know that a hard working teacher would get some well deserved rest because of my help. Both the teachers could not thank me enough and the kids seemed excited that somebody from Reading to Kids had come to visit them. As I walked around campus, even my Reading to Kids t-shirt encouraged smiles and friendly greetings from students.

I walked away from the whole experience reminded that our presence in these schools is important for two reasons. First of all, it gives our organization more credit in the community. Every time a kid or a parent or a teacher sees us on campus, we are reassuring them that we are an organization with people who care and that we are eager to help. Every time we say we will come and we do, we are showing teachers that we are appreciative and that, if they are helpful in recruiting a lot of kids, we will help them in return.

The second reason our presence is important is because it reminds us, as volunteers, of the people we serve. The environments and circumstances that surround these children are things that I, who grew up in a fairly nice neighborhood, can hardly imagine. The danger, fear and uncertainty that they face everyday is very real and difficult. I felt that by sitting in their classroom and listening to their discussions I walked away with a better understanding. It is not a complete understanding but it is better than what I had before. I really would recommend the experience to anyone affiliated with the organization.

From Behind the Desk

In this week's of edition of "From Behind the Desk," Reading to Kids intern Analee Abbott discusses the art of grant writing and working on social events for Reading to Kids.

This week I finished the Verizon Grant application. We aren't sure how much we will be requesting yet, but in this economy any money would be greatly appreciated. The best thing about the grant is that it does not specify where we need to spend the money. Having the flexibility to use the money for all our program expenses (salaries, books, supplies etc.) is always helpful. The application was a particularly detailed one and it was nice getting to show off all the wonderful things that makes Reading to Kids worthy and valuable.

In addition to learning how to write grants, I’ve been working on a few of the social events. First off, finishing up all the Hamburger Mary bingo prize packages was a lot of fun. We had a large turnout on Wednesday night and one of the waiters told me they even had to turn people away. It was nice to see what a large crowd turned out to support us!

I also got to help Rachel process all of the Hollywood Bowl tickets. I have been managing a spreadsheet since orders began coming in June, but on Thursday we formed a seating chart and mailed tickets out to people we had received money from. We will have at least 50 volunteers at our August event and anticipate that it will be a huge success.

Thank You June Readers!

Thank you June Readers!

Thanks to all the 456 volunteers who came out to read to the 1,274 students at our "Superheroes and Super People" reading clubs.

Here is what some of our volunteers are saying...

"It is a great thing to do and I will certainly be recommended it to others. In the words of another volunteer, it is a natural high unlike any other."
-Ori Kalmus, 3rd Grade Reader Alta Loma Elementary

"I think it's a wonderful event for both the students and volunteer. Kids are able to spend time being exposed to education in a fun and productive manner."
-Monica Sharma, Kindergarten reader from Esperanza Elementary

"I really enjoy the program and look forward to it every month. It's rewarding and nice to spend some time away from the hustle and bustle of life and try to connect with the kids by reading a good story and seeing the kids identify with the main theme/lesson of the book."
-Saeed Rezvani, 3rd Grade Reader from Los Angeles Elementary

"For just a few hours once a month, you can really have an enormous effect on these children. Education is key in inspiring children to evolve into compassionate individuals. Reading to children also inspires them to understand the value of reading and education."
-Jennifer Del Rosario, Kindergarten reader from Alta Loma Elementary

2009 Golf Tournament

Thanks to everyone who came out to play golf or enjoy dinner at Reading to Kids Charity Golf Tournament/MBA Masters Golf Classic on Saturday, June 6th.

Enjoy pictures of the day!

Thank You May Readers!

Thank you May Readers!

Thanks to all the 447 volunteers who came out to read to the 1,494 students at our "Birthdays & Celebrations From Around the World" reading clubs. The May reading clubs were our second biggest reading clubs ever and we could not have done it without you!

Here is what some of the volunteers are saying ...

"I could see in our kids group that they are hungry for interaction and love this program. It was wonderful to see and feel their excitement. As a new volunteer it is so easy to sign up again and again."
-Madge Woods, 3rd Grade Reader at White Elementary

"It is quite a heart-touching, soul-warming, mind-freeing experience to spend time with energetic children who show so much enthusiasm, who crave attention, and who are dedicated to prove their intelligence and understanding to whoever cares to listen to them! I will definitely continue volunteering for this amazing cause, together with a fantastic group of coordinators. I've never been so excited and hyper on a Saturday morning!"
-Nikki Hashemi, 1st Grade Reader at Alta Loma Elementary

"The children's creativity and gratitude was amazing - it was truly an inspiration."
-Ana Bernal, 3rd Grade Reader at Politi Elementary

"It is a wonderful program that I believe really inspires kids to take a second look at reading an actual book (say over the computer or phone) I think it's a really important thing for adults who aren't as part of the computer generation to pass on to kids."
-Jessica Ricks, 1st Grade Reader at Magnolia Elementary

"It's such a great organization! I love it!"
-Douglas Hearns, Kindergarten Reader at White Elementary

Tenth Anniversary Comedy Night & Silent Auction May 9th

Celebrate Reading to Kids' Tenth Anniversary at our Comedy Night and Silent Auction.

Greg Behrendt, co-author of the bestseller "He's Just Not That Into You," and Iliza Shlesinger, 2008 winner of NBC's "Last Comic Standing" will join Shang, Bob Oschack, and Mike Phirman for Reading to Kids' Tenth Anniversary Comedy Night & Silent Auction on May 9th!

In addition, our list of fabulous silent auction items continues to grow - we've got airline tickets from Virgin America, Disneyland passes, a Big Bear Cabin weekend, a year of DirectTV, Dodger Tickets, UCLA Football Tickets, Museum Passes, restaurant gift certificates and much, much, more!

Visit http://readingtokids.org/events/TenthAnniversary.php to buy your tickets today!

Thank You April Readers!

Thank you April Readers!

Thanks to all the 449 volunteers who came out to read to the 1,202 students at our "From the Earth to the Moon!" reading clubs.

Here is what some of the volunteers are saying ...

"Last month I joined in the fun. It was such a great experience! The people you meet give off such amazing good energy (kids, teachers, volunteers)... I had a smile on my face for days."
-Karen Murphy, 1st Grade reader at Los Angeles Elementary

"Reading to Kids is an incredibly rewarding way to spend a Saturday morning -- sharing a book with elementary school students and instilling not only literacy but a love for reading."
-Alica Hua, 1st Grade reader at Hoover Elementary

Thank You March Readers!

Thank you March Readers!

Thanks to all the 480 volunteers who came out to read to the 1,059 students at our "Music and Celebrations" reading clubs.

Here is what some of the volunteers are saying ...

"This was my first time and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. The kids were inspiring and the morning was very well run. Thank you! I will definitely be back."
-Heather Alexander, 5th Grade Reader at Los Angeles Elementary

"Each time I go, Reading To Kids is the highlight of my weekend!"
-Marc Petre, 1st Grade Reader at Alta Loma Elementary

"If your inner child has been neglected, Reading to Kids is the way to reconnect!"
-Edward Kimble, 1st Grade Reader at White Elementary

"I loved everything about this experience ..."
-Mike Elling, 4th Grade Reader at Los Angeles Elementary

"Great program, extremely well-organized, makes it very user-friendly to volunteer. Keep up the excellent work!"
-Debbie Bender, 1st Grade Reader at Alta Loma Elementary

"I felt it was so good to see so many volunteers and students participating in this very worthy program. It brings a whole new level of reading development and appreciation to the students."
-Joyce Chinn, 5th Grade Reader at Los Angeles Elementary

Thank You February Readers!

Thank you February Readers!

Thanks to all the 505 volunteers who came out to read to the 1,011 students at our "Friendship" reading clubs.

Here is what some of the volunteers are saying ...

"I love children and this was a perfect way to spend my valentine's day. I love this opportunity and wish there were more times throughout the month to participate."
-Michelle Cowthran, 3rd Grade Reader at Los Angeles Elementary

"The kids got really into the crazy illustrations in the book I was reading ... Their reactions were adorable!"
-Michelle Keh, 3rd Grade Reader at Hoover Elementary

"Reading to Kids is a great program - I can't think of a better way to start my weekend!"
-Ariel Starr, 1st Grade Reader at Los Angeles Elementary

February 2009 Reading Clubs Podcast

Join us for our February 2009 Reading Clubs!

From Behind the Desk

In this week's of edition of "From Behind the Desk," Reading to Kids intern Nicole Kong discusses craft ideas for the February reading clubs.

While rocking out to Paramore on a rainy Thursday afternoon, Rachel and I are busily preparing for the February Reading Clubs. Rachel is scheduling classroom helpers for teachers who recruit the most students to the reading clubs. I, on the other hand, am putting together sample Valentine's Day crafts.

Here are the Valentine themed craft ideas:

K/1st/2nd: Valentine's Day bookmarks and Valentine's Day heart ornaments





3rd/4th/5th: Braided bracelet and mini-bouquet





Also, as an answer to President Obama's call for service we will be sending Valentines to him and the first family, as well to the troops. There will be two envelopes at each school, where students can turn in their personalized valentines.

Enjoy the crafts and encourage the students to use various craft supplies (tulle circles, ribbon, lace, etc.) to create awesome valentines!

From Behind the Desk

In this week's of edition of "From Behind the Desk," Reading to Kids intern Juana Hernandez covers one of the most important aspects of non-Profit work: grants.

Today after processing volunteer applications, I continued to work on the grant request that we are submitting to the Book Buddies Program. A program operated by The Molina Foundation, Book Buddies shares Reading to Kids' mission to promote literacy and to distribute books to children and their families. It's exciting to find a funding opportunity that so closely matches our program! When applying for grants from foundations, finding a match is often the most difficult part of the process. (Luckily, our Program Director took care of this part). In total, we requested 1,500 books for use in our upcoming "From the Earth to the Moon!" April reading clubs. Yup, it's not even February yet and we have already starting working on preparations for April! Hopefully the cover letter that I drafted today will be strong enough to incite interest in our application. Keep your fingers crossed for an affirmative response!

Thanks for reading and check back next week when intern Nicole Kong goes over craft ideas for the February reading clubs!

From Behind the Desk

Starting this week, Reading to Kids will be presenting a new weekly feature on our blog called “From Behind the Desk.” Entirely written by Reading to Kids interns, the entries will give insight to life in the office from an intern’s perspective. This week’s entry is written by Beth Uno.


Since Rachel, one of our program coordinators, is on vacation this week, I sat at her desk today! We are beginning preparations for Reading to Kids’ Annual Comedy Night and Silent Auction to be held in April. This event is Reading to Kids’ largest and most successful yearly fundraiser. Today, Juana and I sent out a large stack of donation request letters to many local businesses. The real excitement will start once we begin to receive replies along with donations of movie tickets, admission passes, gift baskets, and other wonderful items. Throughout the next few months, we will all have to put in a lot of hard work getting ready for the big night, but it will be great to see all of our efforts pay off with the end result.

Thank You January Readers!

Thank you January Readers!

Thanks to all the 458 volunteers who came out to read to the 1,016 students at our "New People, New Places, New Things" reading clubs.

Here is what some of the volunteers are saying ...

"This is one of the most organized and well-run volunteer programs I have ever joined. I really enjoyed meeting the kids and the volunteers. [Esperanza Elementary Site Coordinators] Mark and Sarah were great coordinators."
-Ashley Love-Smith

"It's one of the few events that can inspire kids to come to school on a Saturday by will. One kid commented at the end of the day, 'I wish we could do this all day.'"
-Rebecca Pizzitola

"Honestly, it was just amazing to see how much the kids loved it. Also it's a nice change to see how kids are and a refreshing change from the work environment."
-Aaron Schiff

Our next reading clubs will be Saturday, February 14th. Make sure to sign up TODAY for February's reading clubs at http://readingtokids.org/Home/main.php

What is Reading to Kids?

"Reading to Kids is a program that wants to build a lifetime of love for books. This is a volunteer program offered to children the second Saturday of each month at some L A public schools. I found out about the program last year. I did volunteer a couple of times, and due to my hectic schedule, I couldn’t do it anymore; this year I am back, so I sign up for this month reading. The reading was on July 12. I asked my daughter to come with me. She is twenty-two years old, and does not work weekends. She told me that she is busy with her own stuff. How do I wish to take her with me, the same way that I took her to the public library since she was a toddler, but nowadays she is too heavy for me to carry, or give her time out for not listening to me. Yes, it is hard to give up three hours of our precious time to help children with their reading.

These children come on a Saturday morning to hear someone to read. After the reading, the children get a book as a prize for their achievements. These children could stay at their homes and watch T V tackled under their covers. They could stay home and play with their friends, but these children are special. They long for books, they prefer to come to school on a Saturday morning and enjoy their readings.

I saw a little girl going home after the program. I was leaving the parking lot, and she was crossing the street. She was going home all by herself. Home was a little apartment around the corner, a block away from school. She carried a book that was given to her after the program, as something very precious. She was taking her book home. She was going to a place where books are not a necessity. She was going to a place where the T V is in Spanish all day long. She was carrying with her paradise. One day, this little girl will grow-up and the lessons from her books will be stronger that any lessons she can learn on the streets. She will be a professional, someone who will care for her community; who knows, maybe a doctor or a teacher.

Reading to Kids is waiting for more volunteers. This is a beautiful program because it is planting the seeds of knowledge in little minds. This is an extraordinary program because it is giving hope of a better future to little children. Please become a reader because little children are waiting to hear you reading."

The above entry was written by Reading to Kids volunteer Maria Morales

Pictures from the January Reading Clubs

Thanks to everyone who came out to volunteer on Saturday. Check out pictures from the January 2009 Reading Clubs at Gratts!

January 2009 Reading Clubs Podcast

Join us for our January 2009 Reading Clubs!

Pictures from December 2008 Reading Clubs

Thanks to everyone who came out to volunteer on Saturday. Check out pictures from the December 2008 Reading Clubs at Hoover!

December 2008 Reading Clubs Podcast

Join us in December for our Holiday Reading Clubs!

Thank You November Readers!

UCLA volunteers at the Annual College Spirit Day

Thank you November Readers!

Thanks to all the 521 volunteers who came out to read to the 1,124 students at our "Sports, Games and Fun" reading clubs. Also, thanks to all who supported our Annual College Spirit Day by wearing college gear! Among the 62 schools represented, UCLA led all schools with 95 participants. Congrats UCLA grads! Other top schools were:

CSU-Long Beach - 31
USC - 22
Stanford - 19
Michigan - 10

Here is what some of the volunteers are saying ...

"Spending one morning a month reading with these kids is an easy way I can make a difference - in my life as well as theirs!"
-Kristen Stancik, Hoover Volunteer

"... They got so into the book and the games that we played and the arts and crafts that by the end, they were all laughing and talking and having a good time."
-Michelle Keh, Hoover Volunteer

"Keep it up. I'm glad a program like this exists."
-Michael Eiff, Alta Loma Volunteer

Our next reading clubs will be Saturday, December 13th. Make sure to sign up TODAY for December's reading clubs at http://readingtokids.org/Home/main.php!

Support Reading to Kids - Donate Today!

Reading to Kids needs your support to continue inspiring kids with a love of reading! Visit http://readingtokids.org/News/2008AnnualFundDrive.html to make a donation of any amount during our Annual Fund Drive.

As we continue to bring our reading clubs to more kids and look to expand the program to new schools in our Los Angeles community, we are asking for your help. Please let your friends and family know how they can make a difference, and please consider making your own donation to Reading to Kids this year. A contribution of any amount can make a huge impact.

Just $5 can provide 4 books for kids to take home from the reading clubs, $50 is enough to buy 4 hardcover read aloud books for our partner school libraries, and $500 can cover the cost of an entire year's worth of books for parents at one school!

For more information, please visit our Annual Fund Drive page at http://readingtokids.org/News/2008AnnualFundDrive.html or contact Jessica Tritsch at Jessica.Tritsch@readingtokids.org.

Thank You October Readers & Magicians

Thanks to the 511 volunteers who came out to read to 1,440 kids at our October "Halloween, Mysteries, and Magic" Reading Clubs on October 11th! This month we broke the record for number of volunteers AND number of parents at the reading clubs, and we had the second largest student attendance in Reading to Kids history!

Special thanks to all of our volunteer magicians:

Alta Loma: David Cotelessa,
Esperanza: Matthew Bakal & Danny Passman
Gratts: "Pun" aka Mark Maxwell-Smith
Hoover: Jessie Altimirano
Los Angeles: Jim Richardson
Magnolia: Raul Fernandez
Politi: Frank Padilla
White: Robert De la Guerra

Here's what some of our volunteers are saying:

"I look forward to it every month, it's a wonderful program."
-Jason Rinka, Alta Loma Volunteer

"I'd been looking for a program to read to children so imagine my surprise when I found such a remarkable organization filled with positivity, purpose and love. I think this program should be in every school district across America. Thank you!"
Janelle Connor, Alta Loma Volunteer

"Reading to Kids is a great experience for both the kids and the volunteers, it is awesome!"
-Ramon Roullard, Esperanza Volunteer

"I have very little experience with children, but wanted to volunteer in the community. When this opportunity came my way, I figured I'd give it a try. After my first reading group I was so enthused I went back to my college- Whittier College- and am now in the process of getting greater support for this important organization from the students here on campus. I am so glad I went, I had a smile for the rest of day!"
-Jennice Ontiveros, Esperanza Volunteer

"A child asked me to draw a bat. We worked on it for 20 minutes, cut it out, and it actually flew a little. Success is sweeeeeet!"
-Damon Dunbar, Gratts Volunteer

"Since I was really young my mother ran a day care center from our home. I hadn't been around children since going away to college and moving to LA. In my first weekend volunteering with Reading to Kids, I now remember the joy that comes with having children in our lives."
-Joelly Mejia, Los Angeles Volunteer

"My work schedule has had me working 7 days a week recently. I specifically set some time aside Saturday morning to participate in Reading To Kids, and it helped to wake me up and refocus myself in other endeavors."
-Andrew Pettit, Politi Volunteer

"It really is such a rewarding experience every time which keeps me coming back."
-Winne Liu, White Volunteer

"My work schedule has had me working 7 days a week recently. I specifically set some time aside Saturday morning to participate in Reading To Kids, and it helped to wake me up and refocus myself in other endeavors."
-Andrew Pettit, Politi Volunteer

Sign Up for the October 11th Reading Clubs!

Visit www.readingtokids.org to sign up for our October 11th Reading Clubs! Kids will hear stories about "Halloween, Magic, and Mysteries" in our October books including The Berenstain Bears Go on a Ghost Walk by Stan & Jan Berenstain in 1st grade and The Nightmare Before Christmas by Tim Burton in 3rd Grade.

To help bring our theme to life, we will be featuring a live magic show during the close of the reading clubs!

We expect a lot of kids to come to the October reading clubs to see the magicians so we need a lot of volunteers! Sign up today and bring a friend.

Beach Bonfire Pictures

Thanks to everyone who came out for the Beach Bonfire on Sunday night! We had a good turnout and lots of fun. Enjoy the photos!

Thank You September Readers!

Thanks to the 432 volunteers who came out to read to 1,162 kids at our September "Fantasy, Folklore, and Fairy Tales" Reading Clubs on Saturday!

Here's what some of our volunteers are saying:

"Reading to Kids is such a great way to engage children to develop a love a reading. I hope it continues to expand throughout LA."
-Naomi Fernandez, Hoover Volunteer

"There is nothing more special than the smile of a happy, fulfilled and inspired child. This past Saturday was my second time volunteering and both times I have left will my soul/spirit glass over-filling! Thank you for making this possible!"
-Maria Laing-Smith, Gratts Volunteer

"When it was over, all the kids talked about how they couldn't wait to volunteer again next month."
-Riley Ray Chiorando, Hoover Volunteer

"Being a positive role model in a child's life, even for a day, is such a rewarding and encouraging experience. Every day we finish, the children and the volunteers both leave feeling enlightened and excited."
-Andrew Lindo, Los Angeles Volunteer

"Reading to Kids is so much fun and so rewarding. It was a treat for me!"
-L Spencer Humphrey, Gratts Volunteer

"I think this is a wonderful program and I'm glad I was able to participate!"
-Robert Dagasta, Magnolia Volunteer

"I feel fortunate to have had librarians and teachers in childhood who fostered in me a love of story. I'm sure it's why I became a storyteller myself. Reading to Kids is my way of giving back."
-Laurie Viera Rigler, Charles White Volunteer

"It's a great idea and it's wonderful to help kids with the gift of reading and learning. It certainly opens up a whole new world for them. Keep up the good work!"
Grace Kono-Wells, Charles White Volunteer

"I always learn something new form the group of volunteers who show up, whether it's a new technique to deal with the kids or a new way to look at the RTK program. I also am amazed at how different every one who volunteers is."
-Richard Frazer, Magnolia Volunteer

Legendary Bingo at Hamburger Mary's

Thanks to everyone who came out to Legendary Bingo at Hamburger Mary's last night! The event was a lot of fun and raised $2,257 for Reading to Kids.

Sarah Kolterman, Reading to Kids Program Coordinator, won one bingo game and Charlie Orchard, Magnolia Site Coordinator, was the grand prize bingo winner!

Check out pictures from the event:

Legendary Bingo at Hamburger Mary's August 20th

Join Reading to Kids volunteers at Hamburger Mary's in West Hollywood for Legendary Bingo!

Hamburger Mary's Legendary Bingo is Los Angeles' longest running and most successful weekly charity event. Reading to Kids will be the charity beneficiary for the 7 p.m. seating (which ends at 8:30 p.m.) There is a $20 suggested donation at the door which includes 9 regular bingo games and one grand prize bingo game with fantastic prizes! The evening is hosted by Bingo-boy, sassy drag queen The Fabulous Belle Aire, and celebrity host Kim Coles.

All ages are welcome, but the show is R rated, so leave the kids at home!

For more information, please visit http://www.legendarybingo.com

Full menu and bar are available. Hamburger Mary's website: http://www.hamburgermarysweho.com

Link to Evite: http://www.evite.com/app/publicUrl/LKFPNBRGDYHHMZKXBPLC/HM82008

PLEASE ARRIVE BEFORE 6:30 IF YOU WANT TO GET IN. WE EXPECT TO FILL UP THE RESTAURANT!

Hollywood Bowl Event Photos - Les Miserables in Concert

Thank You August Readers!

Thanks to all 412 volunteers who came out to read to 885 kids at the August 9th "Movies & Books" reading clubs.

Here's what some volunteers are saying:

"There are very few things that are more satisfying than helping a child to read. Reading for Kids makes it easy to open a child to the world of reading."
-Erica Flener, Gratts Elementary

"It's very resassuring to see that there are parents who honestly care about the experiences to which their children are exposed. The kids I've been lucky enough to work with at Reading To Kids are fantastic (not to mention, exceptionally bright) , but the parents are really the foundation of the program. I hope they (the parents) know how much their participation is appreciated, too."
-Richard Frazer, Magnolia Elementary

"When the children become so engrossed is the story that you're reading to them, it's such a delight to see the expressions on their faces and how much they're enjoying the experience that, that joy is mirrored back to the readers and it feels like Christmas morning."
-Margaret Parker, White Elementary

"Loads of fun for kids and volunteers alike! A true community-building interactive experience!"
-Leslie Reed, Hoover Elementary

"It is so wonderful to see how happy and special the children feel to be able to come to school, make special art projects, and get a book. I have always loved working with children and the feeling I get from inspiring them, but this program is so much more rewarding. Knowing that I am trying to help an underprivileged child to love learning and making their day by showing how much we care is so gratifying."
-Jennifer Segundo, Gratts Elementary

"The Reading to Kids program is a great resource for area's schools. But in addition to being an engaging experience for the students, it's also equally engaging for the volunteers. It's more than just "giving back" to the community - it's interacting with the community and knowing you're a part of it."
-Charity Tran, Hoover Elementary

Reading to Kids Is Hiring!

Reading to Kids is seeking a full-time Program Coordinator to start September 1st. As one of two paid employees of the agency, the Program Coordinator will have an exceptional opportunity to work with a grassroots nonprofit organization and to bring the joy of reading to many more children in Los Angeles.

Visit https://www.readingtokids.org/News/ProgramCoordinator2008.html for the full Program Coordinator job description and information on how to apply.