A Good Read and A World of Adventure with #ReadUnited
“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”
Dr. Seuss (American children’s author, political cartoonist, illustrator, poet, animator, and filmmaker)
At Goodwill Southeast Georgia, our mission is to open doors to brighter futures. This comes through empowerment opportunities such as education, job placement and more. We encounter one of those first opportunities early in life: by discovering the power of reading.
Reading truly opens new doors and adventures and shows readers of all ages what’s possible in this vast world of ours. Goodwill Associates know the importance of early childhood literacy and learning! The organization was happy to join in United Way of the Coastal Empire’s Read United program. Ten Goodwill readers participated across the two days of the event this year. I asked our readers what impacted them the most following their day of reading. Here’s what they had to say:
Terra Brantley, Director of Performance Excellence
“What a wonderful experience! First, I would like to say 'thank you' to United Way for granting this program to volunteers and partnering with us at Goodwill. The students were keen listeners and eager to respond to the stories. Their faces beamed with delight and their engagement was lively with every page turn. This is a great means to encourage literacy!”
Hillary Bradbury, Director of Marketing & Communications
David Cipleu, Digital Communications & Events Specialist
Ashlyn Flowers, PR & Community Engagement Specialist
"For me, reading has always been tied closely to not only learning but key relationships. I remember all the series my mom and I would read out loud together when I was a kid. This tradition ultimately fostered the love for storytelling and writing that drives me today! Seeing the students engage with a story and connect it to a real-life interest in animals was a neat illustration of how reading inspires further learning and self-discovery."
Geoff Kent, Chief Financial Officer
When he returned to the office, Geoff Kent showed off the certificate students gave to him for reading at Carrie Gould Elementary!
Lari Lavigne, Executive Assistant & Michelle Whitcomb, Administrative Support Specialist
"Michelle Whitcomb and I had a wonderful time at Charles Ellis Montessori. The children were considerate, engaged, and VERY intelligent! Since we were reading a book about a turtle, the kids had us laughing the entire time because it seemed every single one of them had their own story about a turtle (whether real or imagined.) It was a wonderful experience and we loved being asked if we could come back next week and read again!"
Jason Marshall, Interim President & CEO
Samantha Rivero, Events Specialist
"The biggest takeaway for me was the kids. It was so cool to see them excited to have someone read to them. Not only that but the number of times one of the kiddos would thank me for coming warmed my heart. I have the thank you note from my last 2nd-grade class hanging at my desk as a reminder of how sweet it was."
Valarie Wiles, Vice President of Information Technology
"The kids were SO excited to have a guest in their room. I loved seeing their reactions to the story and listening to their thoughts about what might happen next! The teachers were also most appreciative of the time spent which wrapped the time up nicely."
If you are looking for your latest good read, make sure to visit Goodwill! Our retail stores are home to great collections of affordable books. If you are a teacher, make sure to keep an eye out later in the year for our Teacher Book Giveaway.
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