Georgianna, one of our Solutions teammates, is a mother and grandmother, so she knows the value of reading to kids. For this reason, and because she can’t imagine a life without reading, she began volunteering with Start Making a Reader Today (SMART®) in 2001.

“It doesn’t take a lot of time, but has big benefits for the kids,” she said. “It’s so valuable. This is their time each week to enjoy being the most important person in the world.”

SMART® is a nonprofit early literacy program in Oregon, serving kindergartners through third graders at risk of low literacy and the resulting challenges. Each adult volunteer meets with the same two children once a week for half an hour each during the school year. Volunteers may read or be read to depending on the child’s mood, interest or ability. SMART children also receive two new books per month to keep and read with their families.

Georgianna is just one of a number of Solutions team members who visit area elementary schools to volunteer with SMART. Mike, another teammate, has been involved with SMART since 2003.

“A coworker that had read to children the year before gave me a nudge, and that started the journey,” said Mike. “The sense of wonder and awe of the kids, plus their unbridled enthusiasm to learn through reading, is rewarding in and of itself.”

Lynnette, another Solutions staffer, started with SMART® in 2005. She simply enjoys spending time with the kids.

“I am still a child in so many ways and to get to read their fun books with them, it is just so fulfilling to me,” Lynnette said. “It [SMART®] was the most incredible and rewarding volunteer program I have ever participated in.”

All three teammates above, like the nearly 9,000 other SMART® volunteers in 2005, relish the opportunity to have a positive impact on kids, families and local schools. Their reward is helping to create a brighter future for young students and their communities.

SMART® began in 1992 with a simple yet profound mission: to transform children’s future through reading. Since that time, the organization has served more than 80,000 Oregon children, donated more than 1.2 million books and coordinated more than 2 million volunteer hours. SMART® currently serves 262 public schools in 31 Oregon counties. For more information, or to volunteer, visit www.getsmartoregon.org.