The funds from these donations will keep 30 or more kids at the Johnson Center reading books for 6 months, keep them engaged and excited about reading, and support up to three volunteers driving to the center each week to read and interact with the kids. It will also support us providing materials and opportunities to enrich their reading programs with activities and motivating tools.
The Johnson Boys & Girls club serves a low-income community. Many of the kids attending have reported that they don't have books or literature in their homes. Many of the students have consistently low grades, truancy issues, and behavioral issues. They are not engaged at school and many of them are several grade levels below in their reading ability.
Our volunteers showing up consistently week after week to read with the kids builds trust, respect, and a desire to read. We engage with the kids every time we read. Not only do we read with them every week but they share their daily struggles and joys with us and we make an impact by taking a part in their lives every time we show up. We help foster a belief that reading is fun, an escape, and a chance to share and achieve our deepest hopes and desires.
That is quite simple. If we can increase the productivity of this organization, the benefits are 10-fold! For the kids: reading levels, critical thinking, vocabulary, writing skills, interpersonal skills, confidence in reading out loud and interacting, healthy replacement of activities, comprehension, passion for reading, and creativity. For bookstores/libraries: reviving paper literature (proven to increase learning)! Authors: introducing their works to kids, encouraging them to read more!
