Santa is coming, so we expect these reading clubs to be huge!

(If you have signed up and can't make it, please cancel to make room for another volunteer.)

Within the next eight days we need your help to recruit 190 more volunteers to read aloud to an expected 1,200 plus kids eager to hear a story and see Santa on December 9th!

Here are 5 easy things you can do right now to help!

1. If you haven't already, please visit our website now and sign up.
   
   
2. "Join" our December 9th Facebook Event to let your friends know the fun you'll be up to on the 9th!
   
   
3. Whether or not you can volunteer on the 9th, tweet, post, pin, and tumble to all your friends and followers that we need more volunteers. Here's a sample post you can use:
   
   "Santa + reading to excited kids + holiday spirit = the best way to spend your Saturday morning! My favorite volunteer organization, Reading to Kids, is looking for more volunteers for their reading clubs on Saturday, Dec. 9th. The theme is "Family & The Spirit of Giving", and the kids are eager to see Santa when he visits the reading clubs that day.
   
   Join me at ### Elementary School for a fun, heartwarming morning of reading to elementary school kids near downtown LA. To join me, sign up online today at www.readingtokids.org."
   
   If you write your own post, please be sure to include the following two things:
   
   - The reading clubs are the morning of December 9th near downtown LA
   - Volunteers must sign up online at www.readingtokids.org
   
   If you have people in mind who you think would really like to read with us, tag them in your post. It will alert them to the reading clubs and show up in their friends' news feeds.
   
   
4. Copy from our email template at http://www.readingtokids.org/News/SampleVolRecruitEmail.pdf to encourage people you know to sign up to read with us!
   
   
5. Print out this flyer at http://readingtokids.org/ProMaterials/VolunteerTearOffFlyer.pdf and post it somewhere others will see it. Make it a personal and fun social event by including the school at which you'll be reading or encouraging them to read at your favorite of our eight partner schools!

Please help Reading to Kids bring joy to children on the 9th by inviting your friends, family and colleagues!

SANTAS & HELPERS NEEDED!

At least once in your life you should experience being Santa or one of his helpers - and here is your chance!

We need two more people willing to be Santa, Mrs. Claus, or an assisting "elf" at our reading clubs on December 9th. We've had Santas of all shapes, sizes, and gender, and we'll provide the full Santa suit.

There's nothing better than seeing the students' excitement when Santa visits our reading clubs! If you are interested in being Santa, Mrs. Claus, or an assisting "elf" on December 9th, please e-mail us at info@readingtokids.org. You won't be able to read that day, but you'll see hundreds of smiling faces!

The Santa suits will once again be generously provided by the Pasadena Jaycee's Operation Santa. If you are interested in volunteering for this wonderful project, please click here for more information or email them at OpSanta@pasadenajaycees.org!

Would your co-workers love to join you at the reading clubs? Is your campus group looking for a fun volunteer opportunity? Does your alumni organization need an event to attend together? If the answer to any of these questions is yes, it is time to sign them up for Reading to Kids!

Reading to Kids Volunteer Groups recruit volunteers for the reading clubs. In addition to a fantastic volunteer experience, groups who regularly recruit and bring volunteers are thanked on our website as "Friends & Supporters."

For example, we had 59 members of Junior League of Los Angeles join us on October 14th, and 8 members of Stanford Alumni Association Community Service Club (pictured above) are signed up for December 9th.

If you have a connection with a business, alumni association, campus group, or other organization whose members might enjoy volunteering with Reading to Kids, start recruiting now!

To sign up your group with Reading to Kids, e-mail us at info@readingtokids.org or call (310) 479-7455, and we'll get your group started!

We extend a huge thank you to everyone who has already donated to our 2017 Annual Fund Drive! To date we have raised $19,591 donated from 285 donors!

All who have donated can see their names listed on our 2017 Annual Fund Drive page. If you have not yet donated, be sure to donate today so we can add your name there, too.

Our Annual Fund Drive lasts until December 31st, and our goal this year is to raise $55,000 from 550 donors. Please help us meet that goal by spreading the word to your friends and co-workers!

How Can You Help?

1) Make a pledge to donate by check or online. Contributions of any amount are greatly appreciated!

2) Show your support by asking friends and family to contribute! Look under the "Help us Fundraise!" header for our handy donor sheet for raising money with your friends and co-workers, a sample email you can easily personalize, and tips for fundraising.

Also, if your workplace matches donations to nonprofits, please share with them your donation, and ask them to consider matching it. In this way you double your donation and share with others your enthusiasm for Reading to Kids!

Reading to Kids Managing Director Charlie Orchard was a recent guest on the Community Council radio show!

Here's where you can hear their chat about books and Reading to Kids this Sunday, 12/3:

• ALT 98.7 FM at 6:10 AM (we're the 3rd segment)
• KLAC AM 570 and REAL 92.3 KRRL at 6:30 AM (we're the 2nd segment)
• 102.7 KIIS FM at 7:20 AM (we're the 3rd segment)

We also plan to post the interview on our website, once we receive a copy of it.