Calling all Book Lovers! FCS seeks Volunteers for in-school Reading Program

Long Branch – Do you love to read? Are you 55 and older? Would you enjoy sharing your enthusiasm for reading with young children? Then we have the opportunity for you! Family & Children’s Service (FCS), Monmouth County’s oldest, private non-profit social service agency, is seeking volunteers for its school-based read aloud program, Reading Buddies, currently operating in 12 Monmouth County public elementary schools.  Reading Buddies places specially-trained adult volunteers in the classroom to read aloud to small groups of kindergarten and first grade students to encourage reading participation and advance literacy.

According to the International Reading Association, reading aloud to children is the single most important activity for developing early literacy skills. Reading aloud furthers a child’s vocabulary, comprehension and imagination, putting them on track for future educational success. FCS director of Volunteer Services Alyssa Murray says children who are read to also are more likely to value books, model the reader’s behavior and begin reading on their own.

 Murray explains, “The American Academy of Pediatrics estimates that one in three American children start kindergarten without the skills they need to learn to read. Our Reading Buddies help fill a critical gap between children who are read to at an early age and those who are not.”

Murray says the Reading Buddies program also benefits the volunteers, many of whom are retired and welcome the opportunity to share their lifetime of skills and experience with younger generations. Currently 90 Reading Buddies volunteers serve more than 1,200 students throughout the county.  Some have been volunteering for more than a decade, reading to hundreds of children and forging lifelong friendships with their fellow readers.

No previous classroom experience is required to be a Reading Buddy, but volunteers are asked to commit to read once a week, every week during the school year.  For more information about becoming a volunteer, contact program supervisor Natasha Bishop at 732-728-1331 or email nbishop@fcsmonmouth.org. 

About Family & Children’s Service

Family & Children’s Service (FCS) strengthens, protects and preserves the dignity and independence of people in need. With 116 years of history, FCS is the oldest, private nonprofit social service agency in Monmouth County and a leading volunteer organization. Our mission is to provide compassionate care, intervention and education to support people at challenging times in their lives. We accomplish this through more than a dozen programs focused on the needs of multiple at-risk populations. Learn more at www.fcsmonmouth.org.