The AmeriCorps Reading Literacy Program of the Santa Barbara County Education Office will be holding its 10th annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Day book drive on Jan. 17.
AmeriCorps members will be at Chaucer’s Bookstore in Santa Barbara, The Book Store in Lompoc, and Borders in Goleta to collect books and offer activities for children. As customers arrive at any of the three stores, they’ll be handed a flyer by an AmeriCorps member with a suggested list of books needed.
“It’s a national service day, and we’re a national service program,” said Tom Spadoro, Santa Barbara County Education Office program specialist. “We’re doing this in recognition of Martin Luther King, and we hope to make it a fun day for kids.”
AmeriCorps is often referred to as the “domestic peace corps,” with its members serving as reading tutors for low-performing students in local schools. There are 44 AmeriCorps volunteers in Santa Barbara County, serving full time (40 hours or more) or part time (25 hours or more), with their only compensation being a small stipend. Yet, according to organization officials, the impact they make on the community is invaluable.
“These students are ones that we identify at the beginning of the school year as low-performing readers, or they’re reading below proficiency level, according to standardized tests,” Spadoro said.
All books donated will be given to these children and the schools they attend for classroom and library use.
For more information on the book drive or AmeriCorps, visit sbceo.org/~americorps.
Intern Jacob Lopez compiled this week’s Community Corner. Send comments or ideas to the Sun via e-mail at intern@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Jan 13-20, 2011.