Last week, United Way of Summit & Medina invited volunteers from the local community to read to children at schools in Summit and Medina counties. On March 2, 60 volunteers read to more than 600 students in Robinson CLC, Helen Arnold CLC and McEbright CLC. Then on March 3, volunteers read to 735 students at Cloverleaf Elementary School in Medina County. In total, volunteers read to 1,360 local students.
United Way’s Read to Me Day promotes youth literacy by helping students discover a love of reading. Research shows that children who are read to regularly read at a higher level than those who are not. And because reading is the foundation for future learning, an early boost in literacy results in greater educational achievement later in a child’s life.
“We’re incredibly grateful to all the volunteers that took part in our first big volunteer event for 2022,” said Malorie Kormos, associate vice president of major gifts and engagement at United Way of Summit & Medina. “Volunteering is fun, and with United Way, finding an opportunity to serve your community is easy.”
In support of United Way’s Read to Me Day, members of the Akron chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution donated books to every third grader at Robinson CLC. Other volunteers took it upon themselves to give away books as well, with more than 150 books donated total.
“Reading is the foundation of a successful education,” said Jim Mullen, president and CEO of United Way of Summit & Medina. “And volunteers are the foundation of meaningful change. United Way is committed to mobilizing our community to ensure every child in Summit and Medina counties has access to a quality education.”
More information on upcoming United Way volunteer opportunities is available at uwsummit.org/getinvolved.