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Read and give

When volunteers finish reading, they give away the book and begin a love for literacy

Children and a Claremont Kiwanian enjoy imitating animal sounds while reading Inside a Barn in the Country. Photo by lynn seeden

The Claremont club’s live auction raised $32,000 specifically for their Read Me program.

Everyone, it seems, is reading in Claremont, California. Police officers, college students, and church leaders read. Key Club and Kiwanis members read. When they read, they read to children. And when they’re done reading, they give the books away.

Members of the Kiwanis Club of Claremont began their Read Me program eight years ago, reading and giving books to students in five preschools. Since then, they have expanded into nine facilities, including a special education class, a Salvation Army preschool, and kindergarten and first-grade classes. They also have expanded their volunteer roster, inviting members of the community to participate. As a result, the club conducted 5,594 reading sessions with 50,154 children and gave away 5,748 books this past year.

Beyond the numbers, Kiwanians are getting to know the children, working with them on an individual basis to improve their skills, while giving them the beginnings of a personal library that encourages an appreciation and respect for literature.

“You can see the difference this makes for the kids,” says Sherril Smith, supervisor at the Vista State Preschool. “These aren’t privileged children. They may not ever get to read, and most of them don’t own books. Some haven’t touched a book before. This is a priceless opportunity for them.”