Thionta prepares to read to his Read Aloud class.
This month, Words Alive is thrilled to celebrate Thionta Buckner as our December Volunteer of the Month. Thionta joined Words Alive after being invited to participate by his partner, a volunteer with the Family Literacy Program. He had been looking for a way to get involved with giving back to his community through working with children around literacy.
Thointa’s first introduction to volunteerism was through his service in the Navy. He got to experience different organizations through single days of service supporting food and resource distribution, clean-up projects, and more. The experience that stuck with him the most was the opportunity he got to read aloud to a class of elementary children.
“I only got to do it once but after doing it that one time I always wanted to do it again, but I didn’t know how.”
Finding Words Alive was Thionta’s chance to get back into the classroom.
During his time at Words Alive, Thionta has supported our Where the Wild Books Are service events, distributed new books and resources to families across our community through the Words on Wheels team, and currently serves as a Reading Role Model in the Read Aloud Program.
Thionta loves getting to see the children’s reaction to the stories he reads in real time: “answering questions they may have and helping them learn new words they may not have known before and how they can use them out in the world. Just the appreciation they have for someone coming to read to them. They’re always excited when you get there, they’re always so precious. On the way out the door they want to give hugs and high fives and tell me about their lives.”
When asked about a particular memory of his service that stood out to him, Thionta shared about one day he got to class a little early: “The UTK class was in the middle of doing a calming exercise with music and scarves. One of the little kids brought over a scarf for me to join in and it was a lot of fun!”
Are you thinking about volunteering with Words Alive in 2026? Thionta has a message for you: Just do it!
“If you’re considering it or have a joy for reading and want to share with others, do it! It’s rewarding. You will have an impact on these young minds and hopefully be instilling something in the next generation that they will continue to pass on.”
Book Q&A
Did you have a favorite book growing up, or is there a book that has had a big impact on you?
I didn’t have a favorite book, but a book that does come up for me is Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters [by John Steptoe]. It’s a fantasy book set in western Africa and came out in the late 80s. The author also illustrated the book and I think that’s what made it stand out so much. I was enamored with the illustrations. It’s supposed to be a twist on Cinderlla.”
Do you have a special memory of reading with a caring adult from when you were a child?
Not really, but I remember in kindergarten or first grade doing phonics with a…I don’t know who she was. Me and a few other kids would go to the back table with her and we would be sounding out words and reading a book that we weren’t reading in class. I don’t know what that was all about, but I remember getting excited to go read this book with her and the other kids. We would take turns reading the pages and she would help us sound the words out.
What are you currently reading, or do you have a favorite book to recommend to others?
I am currently reading Parable of the Talents by Octavia Butler.