December has arrived (and some chilly weather along with it), and our reading club theme, "The Spirit of Giving," could not be more appropriate!

Whether you volunteer with us on the 8th, or donate to our 2012 Annual Fund Drive, your contributions make a world of difference. We cannot make December a success without your generous support, and we need your help to reach our monthly goals.

This Saturday our biggest reading club month of the year is upon us, and we still need 109 volunteers. Please continue recruiting your friends, family, co-workers, etc.

If you haven't already, please join our December 8th Facebook Event. Your friends will be able to see that you're attending the reading clubs, and you can help spread the word by inviting them to join, too. After you join, don't forget to go to our website and sign up with us.

We still need 1 Santa and many helpful elves for Saturday's clubs. Elves will join Santa as he visits classrooms, and anyone can be an elf with the aid of festive colors, elf ears, or a Santa hat. We've had Santas and elves of all shapes, sizes, backgrounds, genders, and ages, so don't think for a second you're not right for the job!

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 to read more about it.

I donate to Reading to Kids because of the kids and because of the volunteers. I sometimes joke that volunteering is actually a selfish act for me, because it always makes me feel good.

The idea of the kids and helping schools and encouraging literacy initially drew me to Reading to Kids, but the other volunteers and new friends I have made and continue to make, the more time I spend at the reading clubs, and other Reading to Kids events definitely encourage me to come every month.

Initially, I liked that there was no long-term commitment, that you signed up each month, so I wouldn't be tied down to come each time. But now, about five years later, I come almost every month.

In order for such a great organization to continue to offer books and reading clubs every month in as many schools as they do, they need both money and volunteer hours.

I don't have too much extra money to give, but just the fact that a person is supporting the group helps to raise even more money from grants and other community organizations. Regardless of the amount, each donation is very important, and of course, more money buys more books for more kids.

Please join me in supporting Reading to Kids 2012 Annual Fund Drive, and make your donation today!

Sincerely,

Tami Tarnow
Los Angeles Elementary School
Grade Level Coordinator and Reader

This Saturday's Reading Clubs are the last chance to secure bragging rights for your school's donations to the Annual Fund Drive!

The school that had the largest percentage of their volunteers donate at the November 10th Reading Clubs was Magnolia Elementary! Charles White Elementary came in a close second place in November, and had the overall largest percentage of their volunteers donate at both the October 13th and November 10th Reading Clubs!

On December 8th let's see which school can collect the greatest number of donations from their volunteers!

Donations you gather from others and bring on December 8th all count for your school - so download our handy donor form for raising money with your friends and co-workers, and bring glory and honor to your school!