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To nonprofit volunteers and employees who are struggling during COVID-19

By Amanda Schwartz

This morning, I woke up to news of another cancelled event in my future. The 4-H camp I volunteer at every year in June will not be happening. I knew this was a likely possibility, and in this landscape of physical distance and overtaxed healthcare systems, I know it’s the right call, but that doesn’t make it any easier to swallow.

As a long-time community volunteer and nonprofit employee, I know the secret to this work – you get back more than you give. The joy of the children I serve yearly at this camp recharges and restores me so I can keep giving myself to the cause.

In my case, my day job is all about literacy. My work helps motivate children to read for fun and build foundational skills that will serve them their entire lives. But Read Aloud WV is just a thread in a vast array of nonprofits that interweave across our state and our nation to serve a collective goal: a better educated, healthier, happier society.

I am in good company, among thousands of people who have also devoted their lives to helping.

So now, I’m speaking to you, my fellow volunteers and nonprofit workers. Because surely some of you are also feeling sad, lost, and/or overwhelmed during this COVID crisis. Surely some of you are also wondering why there’s suddenly a deficit in your work, why you feel like you’re giving more than you’re getting back, when the work once gave your life so much purpose.

I have no elevated wisdom to give nor easy fixes. There is no easy solution for grief, which expert David Kessler says we’re experiencing. He says it helps to name it, so I thought we could do that together, since “together” is feeling like such a foreign sensation nowadays.

On a large scale, we’re grieving the loss of the world as we know it, but on a more individual level, we’re grieving for all the events and programs where we were going to do work we love. We’re grieving for conferences where we were going to connect with fellow changemakers and the fundraisers that were going to sustain our work and potentially our paychecks. We’re grieving for the children who are stuck at home – the ones so many of us are still trying to serve with food, books, education, and other necessities.

Maybe we tell ourselves we’re lucky, when so many have already lost loved ones to the coronavirus, that we don’t have more to grieve for, and yes, those of us who haven’t lost someone are fortunate. Yet all of us are still likely experiencing what Kessler calls “anticipatory grief,” fearing for the safety of our families and communities, and that too is valid grief.

We’re grieving in our separate little circles of physical distancing, and sometimes it feels like we’re all alone carrying this weight. But I’m here too, struggling and taking steps forward anyway with you. Read Aloud WV is here, working alongside you to improve lives through literacy.

You are not alone.

When I get overwhelmed, it helps me to remember that you’re out there, fighting the good fight. Hopefully, thinking of me will do the same for you.

Amanda Schwartz is the Communications and Development Director for Read Aloud West Virginia, as well as a long-time volunteer with Putnam County 4-H Camp.

Photo by Kristina Tripkovic on Unsplash

BAM

Books-A-Million statewide book fair to be held September 30

Mark your calendars for September 30th! The statewide Books-A-Million book fair benefiting Read Aloud West Virginia will return in ten West Virginia locations.

Customers visiting BAM stores on Saturday, September 30th, can donate 10 percent of their total purchase to benefit reading programs across the state. Individual stores will also host story times, and Read Aloud volunteers will visit with customers throughout the day.

Due to the hard work of Read Aloud volunteers, last year’s event was a huge success and provided the opportunity to have the event again this year!

“Based on last year’s book fair, Books-A-Million stores in West Virginia are honored to be working with Read Aloud West Virginia again,” said BAM District Manager Ed Reidy. “We understand the importance of creating a love for reading in our children. The Read Aloud organization, through their various programs, combined with their reach into almost every West Virginia county, presents the perfect partnership.”

Advertising for the book fair can be seen on social media, the Read Aloud website and flyers in the BAM stores a week before the event. Please help Read Aloud share the news of this great event! It is extremely important to bring as many people into the participating BAM stores as possible.

“Read Aloud volunteers and board members are welcome to share information about the book fair on social media.” Reidy said. “The more customers coming to shop that day, the better it is for the organization.”

So, PLEASE, on September 30, go to your local Books-A-Million and make a purchase! You can pick up birthday or early Christmas gifts while there and help Read Aloud in the process. Read Aloud hopes that through the work of volunteers across the state and attendance by people like you, this year’s fair will be an even greater success!

 

Read-A-Palooza 2017 celebrates 30 years of reading

It seems like everyone is talking about “The Greatest Generation” and “Generation Y” and “Gen X” lately. But Read Aloud West Virginia is celebrating Generation Read Aloud!

This year marks the 30th anniversary of Read Aloud — 30 years of comprehensive, research-based and practice-proven programming throughout West Virginia.  You can help commemorate this special anniversary by attending Read-A-Palooza 2017 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. on March 20 at Paterno’s at the Park in Charleston.

The event will feature the stories of children, now adults, who benefitted from the Read Aloud program in their early years. Many of those former students are now passing along their love of reading to their own children or as Read Aloud volunteers. Watch for some glimpses into these stories on social media throughout the upcoming weeks by following Read Aloud West Virginia on Facebook and @ReadAloudWV on Twitter.

Appetizers, drinks, a silent auction and great company will be the highlights of the evening.  Committee members, led by chairman Hayley Woodrum, are gathering items for the silent auction, finalizing menu items and planning a fun 80s-themed atmosphere for the evening. Sponsorship opportunities are still available.

Special thanks to the Signature Sponsors for Read-A-Palooza 2017, the Elliot Family Foundation and the BrickStreet Foundation. Their generous donation and other sponsorships and ticket sales will help continue the work of Read Aloud throughout the year and across the state.

Tickets for the annual fundraiser are $40 and can be purchased online or by calling 304-345-5212.

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It’s Giving Tuesday: Give the Gift of Reading!

This year, on Tuesday, November 29, 2016, Read Aloud West Virginia is participating in #GivingTuesday, a global day dedicated to giving.

Last year, more than 45,000 organizations in 71 countries came together to celebrate #GivingTuesday. Since its founding in 2012, #GivingTuesday has inspired giving around the world, resulting in greater donations, volunteer hours, and activities that bring about real change in communities. We invite you to join the movement and to help get out and give this November 29 and beyond.

Here are some ways you can get involved:

How are YOU giving this #GivingTuesday?

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Read Aloud Boone County goes LIVE!

By Sara Busse

Unbeknownst to him, WOWK weatherman Spencer Adkins inspired a new delivery system for Read Aloud of Boone County. By embracing technology, Chapter President Jennifer Griffith is spreading Read Aloud throughout the county with enthusiasm and passion.

“I was on Facebook and saw Spencer Adkins go live with an update about a storm.” She joined the conversation. “When I did, I saw the interaction between me, him and others… people typing in, asking questions… he would read them and say their names with a reply. I thought, ‘How neat is that?!’ I sent a question to see if the storm would hit Madison. He said, ‘Jennifer, it looks like it will hit in about ten minutes down the Boone line.’ From that day on, I would see journalists and others ‘go live’ and thought, ‘How could I incorporate that into my Read Aloud?’”

Griffith went live on Facebook, reading children’s favorite books. She promoted the Tuesday night Facebook readings to parents and children. Authors joined in live discussions. And it was a hit!

Griffith knew that most homes have a computer, iPad or iPhone, all of which have links to social media.

“My goal was to get parents involved as well as the kids. Having it at night, I hoped to draw a larger crowd, that parents and grandparents would sit with their child, watch and engage, just as I did with Spencer!”

The story time ran through June and July. Parents would comment as the story progressed. Griffith’s expressive delivery guaranteed many responses from parents. They would message her, saying how excited their child was when Griffith called him or her by name.

“I would give a ‘shout out’ to the kids when I saw their posts. ‘Hey Bobby, are you ready for Storytime? We have a great book to read tonight.’

Griffith said one great thing about Facebook Live is that it stays on the Facebook page and those who missed it can view at a later time.

Griffith, a former teacher in the Boone County school system and current piano teacher who now works with WVU Physicians, has been encouraging reading in her community for many years. She created a program called “Skyhawk Read Aloud” that involved high school football players reading to elementary students. Book drives at football games, Read to My Pet Day and other initiatives have helped promote reading in the county, as well.

Visit Read Aloud WV-Boone County on Facebook to see Griffith’s videos and to stay updated on the exciting events in the county.

Read Aloud of Boone County takes story time live!

Read Aloud of Boone County is bringing live story time to a device near you this summer! Chapter President Jennifer Griffith is hosting the sessions on Tuesdays at 7:00 p.m. Children can tune in with their parents live or watch a recorded version on Read Aloud of Boone County’s Facebook page.

In this edition, Jennifer reads Hogwash by Karma Wilson. Tune in for more each Tuesday through June and July at 7:00!

Help Read Aloud West Virginia bring $25K to the Mountain State

(CHARLESTON, WV) May 14, 2015 – Read Aloud West Virginia has been selected by the State Farm Youth Advisory Board (YAB) as a top 200 cause in the nation in the 2015 State Farm Neighborhood Assist Program. From May 14 to June 3, the Facebook community will vote for their favorite causes. The 40 causes with the most votes will each be awarded $25,000.

To support Read Aloud West Virginia and vote, visit the State Farm Neighborhood Assist app at https://www.state-assist.com/cause/1504325/read-aloud-west-virginia. Individuals can vote 10 times a day with one easy Facebook visit. You can also help bring these funds to West Virginia by spreading the word to family and friends.

Read Aloud’s mission is to change the literacy culture in West Virginia by keeping books in the hands and on the minds of our state’s children. In support of that mission, the organization offers programs in four primary areas: Volunteer Readers, Public Education, Book Distribution and Classroom Enrichment. Read Aloud currently serves chapters in 25 counties in West Virginia. Funds from the State Farm Neighborhood Assist program would allow the organization to continue to expand to serve more West Virginia students and families.

To learn more about Read Aloud West Virginia or get involved, visit www.readaloudwestvirginia.org, call (304)345-5212 or e-mail readaloud@frontier.com.

State Farm Neighborhood Assist is a crowd-sourced philanthropic initiative that lets communities determine where grant funding is awarded. The initiative used the State Farm Youth Advisory Board to vet submissions and allows Facebook users who download the State Farm Neighborhood Assist application to vote for the final 40 grant winners. The program has been inspired by the incredible number of neighborhoods that are coming together to solve a problem or improve their community.