Plot Twist: 2022 Curriculum Editor of the Year Angela Tran

Welcome to our blog series, Plot Twist! Here, we'll be sharing the stories of people in the Words Alive community — stories of change, growth, and maybe a few surprising twists! We hope that through these stories, you'll get to know our community a little better and see the power of literacy come to life. This article is part of a special edition of this series as it spotlights our incredible volunteers who have been nominated for Words Alive’s 13th Annual Volunteer Appreciation Celebration!

Image of Angela Tran.

Our Curriculum Editor of the Year, Angela Tran makes her impact felt at Words Alive no matter the distance! Based in New York, Angela graduated college with a major in Chemistry and minors in Biology and Philosophy. She now works full-time as a medical scribe for an urgent care and has been volunteering with us virtually as a Curriculum Editor since November 2020! 

“...I don’t directly see or talk to the students who use these guides as I volunteer remotely from another state. However, I enjoy working as an editor because I’m allowed to be a part of making these [curriculum] guides become a success. Reading has always been one of my hobbies since I was young, and it makes me happy to know that these guides are helping kids fall in love with reading too.”

— Angela Tran

Angela discovered Words Alive while exploring VolunteerMatch for ways to continue helping at home during the COVID-19 pandemic. She explained feeling connected to Words Alive’s mission as it allowed her to combine her hobbies of reading and editing peoples’ written work for fun to make an impact on others.

As a Curriculum Editor, Angela edits the learning kits and guides that our volunteers and teachers use to help students engage with the books they’re reading for Words Alive’s programs. Collaborating with our Curriculum Designers and Writers to create finalized guides, she’s worked on twelve curriculum guides so far and is now editing her thirteenth! She shares, “…Even though my role was only one part of the process, it felt meaningful knowing that I was able to help put together something that would help other children enjoy reading and writing.” 

Cover of Why am I Me? by Paige Britt, Sean Qualls, Selina Alko.

This sentiment carries from her experience of working on her very first curriculum guide back in November 2020 for the book, Why Am I Me?

Angela recalls that editing the guide for its story, which focuses on figuring out what makes a person unique, carried a lot of meaning for her as the guide challenged young students to find their own answers towards a topic that even adults struggle to tackle. After finishing her edits, she described seeing the final version of the guide in December as incredible and felt grateful to have contributed to its creation. She reflects, “I hope that the students who used this guide also enjoyed reading this story and were able to understand a little more about what makes them special as human beings in this world.” 

In the future, Angela is set to matriculate to medical school this upcoming summer 2022! She revealed that amid her busy work and school schedule, volunteering at Words Alive helped her to revitalize her hobby and appreciation for reading, as well as reminding her “how words can shape the person you become and how important it is to learn how to read and comprehend.”

Angela, thank you so much for your thoughtfulness and dedicated work helping us to uplift children, teens, and families through reading. We’re so grateful to be a part of your volunteering journey and positive impact! 

Book recommendation: “They Both Die at the End” by Adam Silvera  

---

 This post was created by Gabby Villadolid, Words Alive’s Storytelling Intern! Do you love writing and have an interest in helping Words Alive create this type of content? We'd love to have you on the team! Email to learn more. 

Plot Twist: 2022 Page Turner of the Year Jazmyn George

Welcome to our blog series, Plot Twist! Here, we'll be sharing the stories of people in the Words Alive community — stories of change, growth, and maybe a few surprising twists! We hope that through these stories, you'll get to know our community a little better and see the power of literacy come to life. This article is part of a special edition of this series as it spotlights our incredible volunteers who have been nominated for Words Alive’s 13th Annual Volunteer Appreciation Celebration!

A picture of Jazmyn George.

Hailing from Palatine, Illinois, high school sophomore and our Page Turner of the Year Jazmyn George (she/they) is already trailblazing her way at Words Alive and in the world of literature and writing. Through our Page Turners program, Jazmyn helps inform Words Alive of diverse, relevant books to include in our program curriculum as she reads and assesses different recommended titles. 

Jazmyn began volunteering as a Page Turner after discovering that she was able to gain school credit while engaging in volunteer work, but it didn’t take long for her to realize it was, in her own words, “the perfect role.” As a fast, avid reader since as long as she could remember and now a Page Turner, Jazmyn reads and reviews hundreds of books per year! 

“I’ve always believed that reading—especially [if it’s] good books that you actually connect with, whether it’s [to] your racial background, your experience, stuff like that—has always been a gift, but it’s also fun.”

— Jazmyn George

The cover of Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds.

Her love of books and storytelling is palpable as she animatedly described how re-reading Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds, one of her favorite authors later in life as a Page Turner had allowed her to better appreciate the novel’s unique story format and connect more deeply to its moving themes of loss and grief.  

But Jazmyn’s passion as a Page Turner transcends her own interest in just reading great stories—she loves that she’s able to introduce kids to books reflecting the experiences of BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, and other marginalized groups that she would have loved to read growing up. Jazmyn shared that until she was thirteen, she had not read any book with a person of color as the main character. So when she signed onto the Page Turners website and saw dozens of titles with queer main characters and different characters that looked like her, she was shocked. “It was like, woah, I honestly didn’t know books like that were accessible!” she exclaimed. “Being able to pass that accessibility onto others is what really keeps me coming back.” 

In addition to sharing diverse and representative stories, Jazmyn also appreciates that she’s able to provide trigger warnings about books to help alert readers to potentially distressing themes. She sums up the impact of her work as a Page Turner as “like giving back to the community” even though she doesn’t live in San Diego. 

“I’m 100% coming back to this. It’s so easy, you just get to read a book, fill out a form, and it helps kids and I enjoy myself, so like, it’s a win-win for everyone!”

— Jazmyn George

Jazmyn’s experience volunteering and reading diverse authors has also encouraged her to continue pursuing her own dream of becoming a writer and publishing her own books. Writing since she was in kindergarten, Jazmyn endeavors to become part of the greater effort and hope that there will be more books written by authors of marginalized groups and diverse characters with narratives that authentically represent lived experiences. She has faith in her passionate, local Gen Z peers and believes that we can create a more diverse literary future by working and pushing for change together! 

We’re so astounded and inspired by you, Jazmyn! We know you’ll make a huge impact—thanks for allowing Words Alive to be a part of that! 

Book recommendations: The Sun is Also a Star and Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon; Five Feet Apart by Rachael Lippincott, Mikki Daughtry, and Tobias Iaconis 

---

This post was created by Gabby Villadolid, Words Alive’s Storytelling Intern! Do you love writing and have an interest in helping Words Alive create this type of content? We'd love to have you on the team! Email to learn more.

Meet Our New Celebration Intern, Lily Chen!

We celebrate our newest addition to the Words Alive Team: our Celebration Intern, Lily Chen! Read on to learn more about Lily!

Lily remembers cultivating her love for reading and writing during her childhood as she spent hours reading alongside her older brother and endeavored to read all the same books as him, even if she wasn’t quite as able to keep up! As she studied literature/writing and Chinese Studies at UC San Diego, Lily also worked as a tutor for first-year students learning college-level writing. She not only found it rewarding to work with students individually and help them understand new concepts, but also came to realize the importance of good communication skills and power of reading in opening up a whole new wealth of knowledge. After graduating in 2020, she continues be a lifelong reader and learner and contributes her skills in communication and public affairs. We’re so glad to have her on the team!

In her free time, Lily likes reading, writing, playing video games with her friends and watching trashy reality TV. On the weekends, you can find her trying new coffee shops and restaurants in North Park or picking up new books at the library.

Here’s a few words from Lily!

How did you discover Words Alive? What drew you to interning/working here? 

I discovered Words Alive by looking up organizations around the San Diego area to volunteer with. I was drawn to the mission at Words Alive because I think the work we do here is incredibly crucial, especially in designing curriculum to include books that have good representation for the students. I also think that it’s so amazing that the volunteer count at Words Alive has exploded since the pandemic, with so many people from across the nation (and even world?) being able to support Words Alive virtually. 

What is your favorite aspect so far of the work you do?

It’s only my second week at Words Alive so far, but my favorite part of working here is the amazing staff. They’re so warm and welcoming and they all clearly love and support the mission so much. It’s inspiring to do work that helps people and with people who are passionate about it. 

What book or story has had a big impact on you? 

A book that has had a big impact on me is Draw Your Weapons by Sarah Sentilles. I read it during my senior year of college for my honors capstone course. This book introduced me to the concept of lyric essay and creative nonfiction, which inspired my own honors thesis later on. Sentilles herself was invited to speak with my class virtually and hearing her explain her reason to utilize the lyric essay format struck me. She likened it to how we as people absorb little bits of information from everything we do, read, or see, and all those tidbits come together to inform our thoughts. We are each a collection of everything that’s ever happened to us, and our thought process is anything but linear.  

The book relayed Sentilles’ own experiences, philosophical texts, and historical accounts to create a complex tapestry that delved into the intricacies of human survival. It wove together so many seemingly disparate threads into a cohesive, striking essay about violence, trauma, and the beauty of art in devastating times.  

What is your favorite recent read? 

“There she is, a human being, diving into the unknown, and she is wide awake.”

— Otessa Moshfegh, "My Year of Rest and Relaxation"

One of my favorite recent reads is My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Otessa Moshfegh. I know, a pretty controversial choice given the narrator's general terribleness, but something about the idea of being asleep for a whole year in a drugged out, fugue state seemed similar to how I was feeling about everything going on with the pandemic. Constantly bombarded with bad news and my own anxieties about an uncertain world wracked with tragedy, I could see the appeal of going to sleep for a while and hopefully waking up to a better place without having to deal with it head-on. The ending struck me hard emotionally, and I found myself carrying it with me days after.

Can you share a photo of something you love?

My two cats, Violet (the gray one) and Poppy (the orange one)!

---

We are so thankful to have Lily on our team! Are you interested in working with Words Alive? You can find open internship and employment opportunities here or click here to learn about how to volunteer with us!

The Words Alive Reader: March 17, 2022

Welcome to the Words Alive Reader, our newsletter keeping you up-to-date with the latest in how we’ve been connecting children, teens, and families to the power of reading. We have exciting new stories and opportunities to share as we continue our celebration of National Reading Month!​​​​​​​

Thank You Bentivoglio Family Fund!

We are thrilled to share Words Alive recently received an astounding $200,000 gift from the Bentivoglio Family Fund - the single largest donation ever received by Words Alive! We are humbled by such an investment in our work to uplift children, teens, and families through the power of reading!

​​​​​​​In partnership with local Head Start, Boys & Girls Clubs, elementary and high schools, and more than 1,000 volunteers all over the world, this historic gift will help Words Alive reach more than 4,500 students and families throughout San Diego this school year. To learn more about this gift, click here.

Reading with Teens at the Jackie Robinson YMCA

This week, Words Alive is launching new spring book clubs for teens at the Jackie Robinson YMCA in collaboration with United Way, San Diego Foundation, and amazing community partners. We are training YMCA leaders to run our Adolescent Book Group for students in the Lincoln High School cluster, starting with the award-winning graphic novel, Hey, Kiddo by Jarrett Krosoczka.

Are you an experienced or past ABG volunteer? We would love your help training and coaching partners to facilitate the program. Email us at [email protected] if you're interested!

New Books and Learning Kits for 2,400 Students

This week 2,460 students at 15 partner schools throughout San Diego will be receiving a new hardcover book - Bruce's Big Storm by Ryan T. Higgins - and a learning kit for each student with the supplies to make their own cloud viewer!

This project is thanks to an amazing collaboration: books were donated by the San Diego Council on Literacy and were paired with a learning kit imagined by the Fleet Science Center, supported by Hunter Industries, and compiled by UCSD's Center for Student Involvement.

Check it out and read along! Click here to download the learning kit and family guide (available in 8 languages). You can find the book at your local library.

2021 Volunteer Trends

Words Alive's volunteers are amazing! Our 2021 Volunteer Round Up report is hot off the presses with incredible data about the community who supports our work!

Did you know:

• 58% of Words Alive's volunteers are under the age of 25

• 35% of our volunteers identify as Asian

• 20% of our volunteers have a graduate degree

• 6% of our volunteers are active-duty military or veterans

Representation matters at Words Alive, and we are dedicated to reflecting our community's lived experiences in everything we do. This report highlights our evolving demographic data on our volunteer base's ever-changing gender, racial, educational diversity and more.

Check it out here to learn more about our 2021 volunteer trends.

Thank you EY!

In a celebration of service, 225 EY employees from around the world participated in Words Alive projects around Martin Luther King Jr. Day this year! We'd like to thank our corporate partner, EY, for their commitment to empowering communities through reading!

Do you have a group of 25+ people and/or might be interested in sponsoring a service day for your team? Email us at [email protected] or call us at 858-274-9673. We'd love to talk about custom group service projects and/or opportunities to host service events at your office.

RSVP For Volunteer Appreciation Celebration

Register at our Zoom link to attend Volunteer Appreciation Celebration!

You are cordially invited to our 13th annual Words Alive Volunteer Appreciation Celebration that will take place virtually on Thursday, April 21 at 4:00 pm Pacific. Words Alive would not be the robust, thriving nonprofit it is today without the contributions of our volunteers!

Join us at this hour-long virtual event by signing up at this Zoom registration link. We hope to see you there as we honor our outstanding volunteers!

This newsletter, in addition to our blog and social media content, is written by us, a cohort of staff, interns and volunteers! Do you love writing and have an interest in helping Words Alive create this type of content? We'd love your help! Email to learn more.

PRESS RELEASE: Words Alive Receives the Largest Donation in the History of the Organization!

Bentivoglio Family Fund Pledges $200,000

SAN DIEGO, California (March 14, 2022) – San Diego nonprofit Words Alive announced a $200,000 donation from the Bentivoglio Family Fund.

“I couldn’t have dreamed of a better way to celebrate National Reading Month,” Words Alive Executive Director Rachael Orose smiles. “This incredible donation will support Words Alive’s 23-year-long commitment to inspiring San Diego’s next generation of readers.”

In partnership with local Head Start, Boys & Girls Clubs, elementary and high schools, and more than 1,000 global volunteers, Words Alive plans to reach more than 4,500 students and families throughout San Diego this school year. The organization’s programs spark interest in reading through family workshops, read alouds in elementary classrooms, and book clubs for teens.

“Reading is the key to unlocking far-away places, magical lands, and our own future success,” Orose points out. “Turning people into readers lies at the heart of our mission at Words Alive, and the Bentivoglio Family Fund’s remarkable gift will help so many San Diego students build a regular reading practice, putting them on the path to life-long learning. I am so moved by this investment in our mission.”

A representative from the Bentivoglio Family Fund explains that “We believe having access to books and literacy education is a fundamental lever for improving outcomes and that books provide young people the opportunity to think creatively and curiously about the world around them. We are honored to support Words Alive in their continued work to make reading matter.”

“Reading brings so much joy, especially to children and teens facing disruption, uncertainty, and trauma – especially now, after two years facing a pandemic,” Orose adds. “The Bentivoglio Family Fund’s leadership will enable us to bring uplifting, joyous moments for so many students through the simple, effective act of reading together.”

Founded in 1999, Words Alive connects children, teens, and families with the power of reading. Words Alive provides access to relevant and quality books, shared reading experiences, and a connection to reading that lays the foundation for continued success.

To learn more about Words Alive, visit: www.wordsalive.org

Meet our Page Turner of the Month -- Alan Parks!

Here at Words Alive, we strive to foster a community of readers who welcome stories of diversity, nontraditional life experiences, and the power it takes to overcome these battles. These stories introduce the power of resilience, courage, and compassion for others and their struggles. There are so many under-appreciated books with this message, and we wouldn’t be able to read and review all these amazing books by ourselves. This is why our volunteers are a crucial part of our program, and why we appreciate everyone who takes the time to read with us.

This month we are happy to showcase another one of our amazing volunteers. A big thank you to Alan Parks, our Page Turner of the Month! Alan, you are awesome! We appreciate all the time you’ve dedicated to reading these past couple months, and hope you continue reading with us in the future. All the way from Yuba, California, here’s some fun facts about Alan:

1) How did you get started with Words Alive?

I was looking for a virtual opportunity to volunteer for community service because there aren’t many options in my community. Then I found Words Alive on volunteermatch.org.

2) What has been the best book you've read with Page Turners?

The best book I’ve read is Ninth Ward by Jewell Parker Rhodes. Hurricane Katrina happened just as I was born and this gave me an idea of what it was like, in a fictional sense.

3) How has being a Page Turner changed the way you read or think about reading?

Being a Page Turner led me to immerse myself into more book diversity. There are many available genres and several types of authors. The books cover different ethnicities, genders, and orientations.

Thank you again to Alan and all of our volunteers! Happy reading!

Julie Chen (she/her) | Page Turners Intern

[email protected] | www.wordsalive.org

Meet Our New Storytelling Intern, Gabby Villadolid!

Introducing another new addition to the Words Alive team: our spring Storytelling Intern, Gabby Villadolid! Read on to learn more about Gabby!

Gabby’s storytelling work at Words Alive combines her love of reading and writing and passion for social justice. She attended Loyola Marymount University in LA for a year before transferring to Georgetown University, where she studied various social issues intersecting gender, immigration, globalization, post-conflict justice and more as a Justice and Peace Studies major. Her involvement in literacy and nonprofits progressed from volunteering as at-home English tutor for a DC student with an immigrant background to interning at Ronald McDonald House Charities Philippines, which provided English and Filipino literacy programs to public elementary school partners throughout the archipelago. After graduating last year, Gabby is currently finishing up her fellowship research project on education and racial justice as she joins Words Alive virtually from the Bay Area!

Gabby’s dog, Max!

In her free time, Gabby loves playing with her senior dog Max; watching cooking videos; and expressing herself through makeup, fashion, and music! She sings everyday and hopes to improve her instrument playing and songwriting. A true introvert and story nerd, she is happiest while at home listening to her favorite musical artists or true crime podcasts, or just curling up in bed with a new novel or webcomic.

Now, here’s a few words from Gabby!

What drew you to intern at Words Alive?

Words Alive’s Storytelling internship just happened to marry all of my personal and post-grad, next-step professional interests into one! I wanted the opportunity to develop my writing skills in a communications role while engaging in social impact/justice work. I also attribute much of my educational and individual formation to geeking out on books and comics since I was young, so Words Alive’s mission to address systemic inequities by providing community reading programs really resonated with me. Lastly, conducting qualitative social science research in my undergrad taught me to fall in love with the impact and process of storytelling, so as soon as I saw the words “Storytelling Intern” on LinkedIn’s internship post I knew I had to sign up!

What is your favorite aspect of the work you do?

I am currently just starting out, but I really love how intentional Words Alive is with supporting one another as a team and implementing positive change by embodying it themselves in mindsets and actions. We just had a Board and Staff Retreat on Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility discussing the importance of using inclusive and asset-based language, and throughout the retreat I felt so lucky that I joined!

What book or story has had a big impact on you? Do you have a favorite quote?

“According to you, healing is a relationship between doctor and patient. ‘Di ba? Pero you’re wrong. Alam mo, healing? Ay mundo yan. It’s a world. So what you think about it matters. You’re involved.”

— Elaine Castillo, "America is Not the Heart"

Reading America Is Not the Heart by Elaine Castillo was so jarring because it was my first time reading a novel completely about modern Filipino-American characters—I could picture their stories so well because they either mirrored similar contexts and experiences in my own life or in the lives of other Filipinos, down to the very last detail. It taps into the nuances of Filipino and Filipino-American narratives of history, politics, and identity and how these manifest in the lives of protagonist Hero De Vera and her immigrant family coming to grips with their pasts and starting anew in Milpitas, California. As a second-generation Filipino-American immigrant born and raised in the Bay Area, I felt so affirmed reading about the De Veras’ struggles and resilience in valuing fluctuating meanings of home, family, and other cultural values. I also appreciate that this story provides representation for persons who identify as LGBTQ+!

What is your favorite recent read?

I actually picked up this book because it was on BookTok—The Midnight Library by Matt Haig. It’s about a woman named Nora who fatefully encounters the Midnight Library, a place between life and death where one has the chance to revisit and experience different life choices through reading the library’s infinite books, each containing an alternate life story for every possibility. I’m fascinated by the idea of parallel universes and found this story sobering, uplifting, all the good adjectives BookTok described it to be!

---

We are so excited to have Gabby on our team! Are you interested in working with Words Alive? You can find open internship and employment opportunities here or click here to learn about how to volunteer with us!

Meet Our New Page Turners Intern, Julie Chen!

We are ecstatic to welcome another awesome human to the Words Alive team: our new Page Turners Intern, Julie Chen! Read on to learn more about Julie!

Julie’s belief and motivation to make a positive impact through literacy and learning stem from her love of reading and her college journey. Before transferring to University of California San Diego (UCSD), Julie attended De Anza College in her Bay Area hometown where she witnessed secondhand the struggle of learning English as a second language as an English tutor. Wanting to pursue a major that would allow her to directly help others, Julie switched between English Literature, Business Psychology, and Education Studies majors throughout her college career before settling on a Psychology major with a Global Health minor. As a former English Major and now Page Turners Intern, Julie believes that reading is crucial not only for encouraging us to explore different worlds and empathize with the different experiences of others, but also for allowing us to feel less alone as we relate to characters whose worlds are similar to ours.

Additionally, as a second-year transfer student and current senior, Julie is set to graduate this Spring 2022! In her personal time, Julie is a self-proclaimed grandma at heart who loves knitting, embroidering, and hand weaving macrame pieces. She also enjoys researching and studying the craft of coffee-making due to working as a barista for the past six years! You might also catch her playing video games with friends or going on hikes as well.

Now, here’s a few words from Julie!

How did you discover Words Alive? What drew you to interning here?

I discovered Words Alive through a student organization at UCSD. I heard about the internship position during an orientation and decided to take the opportunity to learn about nonprofit work since that’s something I’m thinking of pursuing in my future. I was also drawn to the mission of spreading diversity and working to reduce the literacy gap in school children today.

What is your favorite aspect of the work you do? Do you have a fun memory that exemplifies this?

I love all the researching I do for my internship—mainly researching books. I didn’t realize how many books existed in the world until I started researching them (my list of books to read has reached new highs)! One of my best memories of working here was the first time I came to the office and got to browse the large inventory of books we have. I felt a sense of absolute amazement for the stellar work of our staff and volunteers after seeing those and the boxes of kits for the Read Aloud Program. Being able to see all their hard work in front of my eyes made me realize I truly found myself a spectacular program to be a part of.

What book or story has had a big impact on you?

For some reason I’m blanking on stories that I read and really left a big impact on me recently, but I guess the series that had the biggest impact overall was the Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan. This series was what really captivated my love for reading when I was a child. It also ignited my love for Greek Mythology, and my imagination in the belief that demigods really do exist in our world.

What is your favorite recent read and quote?

“The internet is the flattening of time. It is the place where the past and present exist on one single plane. But proportionally, because the present calcifies into the past, even now, even as we speak, perhaps it is more accurate to say that the internet almost wholly consists of the past. It is the place we go to commune with the past.”

— Ling Ma, "Severence"

Currently I’m finishing Severence by Ling Ma. It’s a fun version of an apocalyptic world but not super dramatized like how it normally is in books or shows like “The Walking Dead.” It also jumps between pre- and post-apocalypse, so we get a glimpse at the main character’s life before the everything occurred. But the main reason why I’m really enjoying it is because the main character is a Chinese American girl living in New York in her early twenties and I resonate with a lot of the emotions she has being in that confusing age. It also has moments with profound philosophical thoughts of what it means to exist during a worldwide apocalypse, which is something we all can definitely resonate with at this time.

Can you share a photo of something you love?

Here’s my dog, Ellie and cat, Boba!

---

We are so excited to have Julie on our team! Are you interested in working with Words Alive? You can find open internship and employment opportunities here or click here to learn about how to volunteer with us!

The Words Alive Reader: February 10, 2022

Welcome to the Words Alive Reader, our newsletter keeping you up-to-date with the latest in how we’ve been connecting children, teens, and families to the power of reading. What have we been up to and how can you help? Read on to find out!​​​​​​​

Welcome Families!

This week we welcome 292 families, and their 364 children, to Let's Read with Words Alive, our family literacy program!  

Each week families participate in a 45-minute virtual session, in English or Spanish, reading a story and completing a craft together. Between sessions for the next six weeks, parents will receive SMS-based support from volunteers to encourage at-home reading with their new books.

Teachers at Harriet Tubman Village Charter School sharing Let's Read with Words Alive books.

Through this wave, we are excited to offer parallel tracks for families with preschoolers and those with school-age students (TK-2) through partnerships with:

• Diamond Educational Excellence Partnership

• Edison Elementary

• Freese Elementary

• Harriet Tubman Village Charter School

• Neighborhood House Association

• Rolando Park Elementary

We are deeply grateful to the Dr. Seuss Foundation and Conrad Prebys Foundation for their leadership in helping us transform our family programming this year!

Thank you S. Mark Taper Foundation!

We are so grateful to the S. Mark Taper Foundation for making an incredible $35,000 investment in Words Alive!

The S. Mark Taper Foundation, founded in 1989, is a private family foundation dedicated to enhancing the quality of people’s lives by supporting nonprofit organizations and their work in our communities.

Unrestricted support, like this, enables us to invest in our incredible staff, develop new connections with community agencies, and build our capacity to reach more children, teens, and families. Thank you, S. Mark Taper Foundation!

Welcome Board Members!

Please join us in welcoming Meredith Baratz and Laura Galinson to the Words Alive Board of Directors! 

We look forward to their wealth of expertise and leadership to foster Words Alive's growth. You can learn more about Meredith and Laura, as well as the rest of our Board members, here.

If you're interested in serving on our Board of Directors or supporting one of our many committees providing professional guidance to the organization, please reach out to Rachael Orose to start a conversation.

Read Aloud Volunteers Needed

Help children learn to become a reader by volunteering today!

Each week, teachers and principals ask how Words Alive volunteers might read aloud with their students. If you are excited about reading remarkable stories aloud with classrooms of children (TK-3rd grade) and can commit to read for one hour a week through May, we have a spot for you!

We have virtual and in-person openings for readers at schools in central and southeast San Diego. 

Our best Read Aloud volunteers are excited, engaging, and love sharing stories.  No prior experience is necessary! Volunteers bilingual in Spanish and English are in high demand. 

We host weekly, virtual volunteer orientations where you can learn more. You can also email us for more details.

This newsletter, in addition to our blog and social media content, is written by us, a cohort of staff and volunteers! Do you love writing and have an interest in helping Words Alive create this type of content? We'd love your help! Email to learn more.

The Words Alive Reader: January 12, 2022

Happy New Year and welcome to the Words Alive Reader, our newsletter keeping you up-to-date with the latest in how we've been connecting children, teens, and families to the power of reading. What have we been up to and how can you help? Read on to find out!​​​​​​​

We Need Your Help

We have an incredible opportunity to connect thousands of readers to Words Alive: Christopher Weil & Company, Inc. is matching the next $5,000 donated to support Words Alive in the Champions for Youth competition! 

Your gift will reach twice as many children and bring us closer to our $60,000 goal before the January 30 deadline.

​​​​​​​Every gift counts! Even if you're a regular donor to Words Alive, a simple $10 gift made on this link can help.

Through the Champions for Youth competition, Words Alive earns bonus funds from the Century Club of San Diego and Farmers Insurance based on how we rank, against five other charities, in two categories: number of donors and funds raised. Thanks to Christopher Weil & Company, Inc.'s match, your gift today will propel us forward in both categories. 

 A very special thanks to the William Gumpert Foundation and the S. Bernstein Fund of the Jewish Community Foundation for matching earlier gifts to the campaign, enabling us to reach the first 75% of our $60,000 goal.

Volunteers Compile Hundreds of Learning Kits from Home

Debbie Wappler, volunteer, stands with hundreds of Learning Kits she, her family, and colleagues created.

During the holidays, Debbie Wappler mobilized her family and colleagues at Commonwealth Financial to compile 700+ Learning Kits for children and families participating in this spring's "Let's Read with Words Alive" family literacy program.

Debbie set up assembly lines at her home and office to compile take-home bags for families reading two titles, Penguinaut! and Giraffes Can't Dance.

Learning Kits include tips for families, a copy of a book, and a simple craft activity related to each title. Since the new COVID variant is limiting our ability to compile kits at our office, we're looking for volunteers, like Debbie, interested in organizing family, neighbors, or colleagues to help compile the remaining Learning Kits at your home or office for our spring sessions.

Our Program Coordinator, Murphy Hernandez, can help you get started. He can be reached at [email protected] or 858-274-9673.

Welcome New Team Members

We are thrilled to welcome amazing new team members to Words Alive.

Jenn Belgarde joins Words Alive as our Young Adult Program Manager, leading our signature programs for youth ages 12-24. 

Kristi Stoza joins Words Alive as our Engagement Coordinator, playing a key role in mobilizing volunteers and engaging donors. 

Read about Jenn and Kristi on our blog.

We are also thrilled to welcome Julie Chen, a student at UCSD and our new Page Turners intern. Know someone interested in learning more about working with nonprofits? We are currently recruiting for spring and summer volunteer interns. Details here.

Volunteer Opportunities Available

Help young children learn to become a reader by volunteering today!

New in 2022, we're thrilled to expand our programming at many school sites throughout San Diego - reaching more classrooms and more ages. 

For example, at Rolando Park Elementary, a new partner in 2022, our volunteers are starting the new year both reading aloud to elementary students and leading family literacy workshops.

This is creating many new, engaging volunteer opportunities both virtually and in-person. To learn about ways you might be able to help, we host weekly volunteer orientations. Click here to find the virtual orientation schedule and more details. 

This newsletter, in addition to our blog and social media content, is written by us, a cohort of staff and volunteers! Do you love writing and have an interest in helping Words Alive create this type of content? We'd love your help! Email to learn more.