The What and the Why

 

We make no secret of the key role our volunteers play in Open Books' success, but let's just be clear for a second. When we say key role, here is what we mean.  

 

During National Volunteer Month:

• 113 volunteer Reading Buddies will read with their Little Buddies each week at 12 Chicago schools.

• 55 volunteer writing coaches will make prose, poetry, and slam poetry come alive for hundreds of student authors and poets at our Adventures In Creative Writing field trips.

• 68 bookstore volunteers will scan, shelve, and sell thousands of books at the Open Books store to help support our literacy programs.

• Volunteers citywide will set up book drives, organize fundraisers, and spread the word!

So, with all that we have to keep track of to keep ourselves clothed, fed, housed and happy, what makes hundreds of people fight the good fight each month? Last month, you told us! The winning response belongs to none other than the fabulous Polly, who wrote:

 

 

 

I get to be around books and  

people who share my passion for them!

 

We couldn't agree more. :)

 

Looking for more of the "why"? Click here for a personal favorite. 

  

 

 

You're invited to join Open Books at Make the Case, our first annual bookcase-decorating contest and fundraiser!

 

What: Enjoy Piece pizza, Haymarket craft beer, and live music while witnessing the spectacle of teams transforming standard bookcases into works of art.  At the end of the event, Open Books will fill the cases with books and deliver them to local charities.

 

Why: Support Open Books' literacy programming AND help put books in the hands of people without access to them. 

 

Who: Authors Patrick Somerville, Amy Guth, and Jonathan Messinger will judge the cases based on creativity, execution, and fidelity to the theme.

 

Where: Enclave, 213 W. Institute Pl.

 

When: Friday, May 13  6-9 pm  

 

Tickets: $35

Team Signup: $400 (up to 5 people) 

 

Get your tickets or register your team now!   

 

April Vol-Star: Lisa Brenner!

 

Lisa works to get to know her students well, asking them about their school day and gaining an understanding of their interests. She pushes her students gently out of their comfort zones, boosting their self-esteem along the way.  Lisa also actively helps her students build their vocabulary. One day she taught her little buddy the word "ecstatic," and he paraded around the room using the word in a sentence to anyone who would listen. Another day, with the same buddy, she pushed him to read a chapter book and finish it on his own. He was so proud to have finished a "4th grade book." Thank you, Lisa, for making your little buddies ecstatic about reading!