Marty has been volunteering with New Haven Reads for about 7 years. Marty decided to start volunteering after hearing about NHR through the Yale Club of New Haven. To him, New Haven Reads sounded like a very rewarding program. He spent three years volunteering at our Dixwell location before becoming a tutor at our Willow Street location.
Marty has worked with many different students over the years. When asked what keeps him coming back to NHR, Marty responded with “the amazing feedback that I get from the students.”
Marty’s favorite book is Catch 22, while as a child, his favorite book was The Jungle Book.
Helena has been tutoring at Bristol Street and online for about 4 years. She began her journey at New Haven Reads in the spring of 2018. “I wanted to give back to the community and I was excited to do so through reading, an activity that I love pursuing myself,” says Helena.
Helena’s passion for giving back to the community through reading is what attracted her to New Haven Reads. It has been her experiences with the amazing kids at New Haven Reads that keep her coming back over the years. Helena describes a time that she has discovered a shared interest with a student. “The student I tutor is a bright kid with a passion for animals and science in general.” Helena, a PhD candidate in neuroscience, says she enjoys explaining things in a kid-friendly way and sharing scientific knowledge.
When asked what her favorite book was, as a child and now, she responded by making note of her love for Harry Potter books or anything fantasy. As a child, Helena spent hours reading them secretly at night when she was supposed to be sleeping. Currently, she still enjoys reading fantasy and sci-fi, but has expanded her reading interests into other novels and literature.
Isabella has been a volunteer at Bristol Street for eight months. She began her journey at New Haven Reads as an intern for her Psychology program at the University of New Haven. “I chose New Haven Reads because I love working with kids and I knew it would be a rewarding experience. I couldn’t have been happier with my choice!” says Isabella.
While at New Haven Reads, Isabella has displayed her versatility. In addition to tutoring, she has also been frequently sought out to translate newsletters and phone calls for our Spanish speaking families. Describing this experience, she explains that “it was nerve-wracking at first because I am not completely confident in my Spanish, especially when taking phone calls. After a while, I learned that it was irrelevant whether I spoke flawless Spanish or not. Instead, what matters is that I am assisting these families in getting the most out of their New Haven Reads experience. I am aware that many families who work with New Haven Reads do so in their native language. I believe I am assisting those families and the program in communicating more effectively.”
When we asked Isabella what keeps her coming back, she responded with her reason being because “I wanted to keep the bond as well as the progress I created with my students. I couldn’t bear to miss out on watching as their skills grow.”
When Isabella was a child, Number the Stars was her favorite book. Her favorite book today is The Help. The books that move her while providing insight into real life issues are her favorite reads.
Written by: Isaiah Cunningham, NHR Tutor and intern.
New Haven Reads is showing their gratitude and appreciation to the volunteers who have continuously supported New Haven Reads and our goal of developing a community of confident readers and expanding book access.
“We at New Haven Reads are so thankful to have such dedicated and involved tutors and volunteers. We are elated to have this opportunity to thank them for their time and effort”, says Fernanda Franco, Outreach Director at New Haven Reads. New Haven Reads is a non-profit organization that relies heavily on volunteers. Our volunteers are our heart and soul of New Haven Reads and we are honored to have them be a part of our team. Therefore, we are awarding navy blue fleece jackets with the New Haven Reads logo on the left chest area to our volunteers with three or more years of service. “I absolutely love the idea of providing volunteers with fleece jackets. These volunteers provide an invaluable service to the community, and it feels wonderful to see their efforts recognized for it,” says Aimee Curtis-Travaglini, Bristol Site Director.
New Haven Reads is always looking for ways to recognize the contributions of our volunteers. Volunteer support is integral to our success, and we’re proud to give them the recognition they deserve. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer with New Haven Reads, please click on the link here.
Susan Burlingame has been tutoring at the Dixwell site for about one year. She started in early 2020, right after the COVID-19 pandemic hit and New Haven Reads had transitioned to a distance learning format. Susan began tutoring because she wanted to help increase students’ reading skills while also sharing some of her favorite books. When asked what keeps her coming back, she responded with, “All of the wonderful, dedicated staff at New Haven Reads and of course the students! It’s so wonderful connecting with them each week.” Susan described a fun experience she had with her first student she tutored. During choice time, they would draw pictures together. They would take turns choosing a subject matter, then draw pictures to show each other once they were done.
A book that “completely carried [her] away” when she was younger was To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. One of her current favorites is The Color of Water by James McBride.
Shirley Cavanagh has been tutoring at the Bristol site for almost five years. As a librarian at Southern Connecticut State University (SCSU), she enjoyed helping students utilize resources for their undergraduate papers and graduate theses. She described herself as being almost a “college tutor.” She is currently a co-president of the Hamden Woman’s Club, a non-profit organization that provides a number of different volunteer services.
After retiring in 2016, Shirley discovered New Haven Reads. She wanted to be involved in tutoring younger students who may be struggling or not particularly fond of reading. When asked what keeps her coming back to New Haven Reads, she responded, “Many things… I think the staff is exceptional. Especially in the past year and a half I’ve seen their dedication and commitment to continuing the program and continuing to work with students and their parents.”
One of Shirley’s all time favorite books is To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, and as a child it was the Anne of Green Gables series by Maud Montgomery. She also mentioned that when she used to babysit, she read Where the Wild Things Are multiple times and enjoyed doing so.
Shirley described a memorable and rewarding experience she recently had during a Zoom session. Her and the student were reading Diary of a Wimpy Kid, typically taking turns every other page. Until one day the student who was once somewhat reluctant to read said, “I want to read.”
Barbara Ross has been volunteering at the Book Bank on Bristol Street for four years. Back in 2017 she began the process of looking for volunteer work, and soon after was referred to NHR by a friend who is involved with the organization. She was given weekly shifts at the Book Bank, and once she became comfortable she fell in love with the position. The staff at Bristol is what keeps her coming back, as they are so inviting and nice to her. She feels it is wonderful that anyone can come and get free books. “Every time I open a box of donated books, it’s like opening a treasure chest- you don’t know what kind of gems you will find! My favorite activity is putting together book orders for different organizations.” Barbara enjoys reading immensely and being able to share that with others around her.
Jan has been volunteering at the Dixwell site in early 2020. She began working with students just prior to the pandemic. It was a new experience for her and the students, but she has continued to tutor throughout distance learning. One reason she wanted to volunteer at NHR is the importance of literacy. “Literacy is essential to navigate comfortably through in every aspect of life for native speakers of English and non-native English speakers.” About a year ago she began teaching ESOL to adult students in addition to working with children in NHR. What keeps her coming back is the students, who she describes as a joy to work with. Since the pandemic she feels there is an importance to make up for that lost time from school. “It is a wonderful experience to help them discover their strengths and celebrate their wins.”
Sarah has been volunteering at the Dixwell site for since September 2020. Sarah started volunteering because she wanted to give back to her new community after moving here in 2019. She loves being involved and has always had a passion for helping others learn, having previously worked as a substitute teacher. “NHR appealed to me more than other tutoring programs as it was clear that tutors were able to form a meaningful relationship with students, one that resembles more of a mentorship than simply a tutoring session. I could tell immediately that the other volunteers were proud of their work and were making a difference and I wanted to also be a part of that,” she explains.
Sarah enjoys seeing the immense growth in her student and their excitement to read and learn. “I know I am helping to make a difference in the youth of my community and I think that helping to further education is one of the best volunteer pursuits one can take on.”
Lynda Paul has been volunteering at Bristol Street for over four months. In December of 2020 she was adamant about finding volunteer work to make a difference in others’ lives. She has had a lifelong passion for reading and language. “For me, reading has been a personal love since my earliest memories.” She would read at any moment during the day. Reading is a social passion for her because it offers so much. “I believe that literacy is a skill that gives its learner literally endless possibilities in the world.” What keeps her coming back is her student and seeing the growth. She enjoys learning from the staff as well. Not only is her student learning, but she is learning as well.
