“When you learn, teach. When you get, give.” – Maya Angelou
For the past several years, San Antonio Youth Literacy has participated in The Big Give. This year will be no exception. For those of you not familiar with The Big Give, it is held annually for one day only to give individuals in San Antonio and across south Texas an opportunity to go on line and donate to one or more of over 500 nonprofit organizations. For many of these organizations, this is a major fundraising event and SAYL is no exception. Over the years through the generosity of our supporters, we have been very fortunate in meeting and exceeding our goals. Our goal this year’s goal is $10,000.00
SAYL currently partners with 73 campuses in 5 school districts across San Antonio. Reading Buddies is a researched based tutoring/mentoring reading program offered at no cost to the districts or students we serve: Edgewood, Harlandale, Northeast, Northside, and San Antonio ISDs. We are able to provide our services at no cost in large part because of the many individual donors who are familiar with our program and appreciate the high level of success we enjoy with the 2nd grade students we assist. Being researched based, we have come to understand the need to address the early childhood continuum of 1st through 3rd grades. This school year for the first time, we are offering the Reading Buddy Program to students in these grade levels at 4 campuses: Hawthorne and Lamar Elementary Schools in SAISD and Larkspur and Oakgrove Elementary Schools in NEISD. We have started small so that we can examine end- of -year data and determine what, if any, curriculum adjustments may be needed and to solicit additional funding need for this expansion of services. That is where you, our loyal supporters can help. We are excited about being able to offer our successful program to more students, to strengthening the mentoring power by providing the opportunity for our Reading Buddies to stay with their students for 3 years if possible, but we know that in order to maintain the integrity of our program, we will need funds for more books, more training materials and program oversight.
We have a very loyal, generous “tribe.” If all of our current Reading Buddies gave $20.00 it would be nearly $14,000.00. WOW! Of course, these individuals are already giving of their precious time. Without you all there would be no program. But, if each one of you asked a friend to donate $20.00, we would not only meet our goal but exceed it!
The Big Give is Thursday, March 26, but you don’t have to wait until then to start giving. Donors can start giving on March 19. As always – to those of you who are Reading Buddies a big THANK YOU! If you aren’t please consider it. Let’s make moving the needle on children’s literacy a San Antonio priority.
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