Archived News Release from 2004

For Immediate Release

Making a Difference in a Child's Life is Rewarding, Fun for Storytime Volunteers

Redwood City, CA - March 1, 2004 - The Redwood City Public Library is seeking volunteers who want to help make a lasting difference in a child's life - it's wonderful for the kids, it's a rewarding and fun experience for the volunteer, and it can be done in only 30 minutes a week.

Making this difference to a child is really simple - volunteers are needed to read to preschool age children in day care centers and preschools throughout the City. Volunteers will be provided with two evening training sessions on planning and performing a weekly storytime for children, and are then assigned to a regular storytime schedule.

In a brief half-hour session per week, volunteers help youngsters develop pre-literacy skills, which are critically needed to succeed in school. Volunteer Jan Pedden of Redwood Shores says, "I never would have predicted that this would be the best half-hour of my entire week." Other volunteers have noted how rewarding the experience is, and that they gain a wonderful new perspective on helping others, and have a great deal of fun doing it.

The Traveling Storytime program, funded by the Redwood City Library Foundation, is not yet three years old, but its success is clear - last year alone, volunteers made nearly 11,000 "child visits" for these special storytimes.

For more information and to sign up as a volunteer, interested members of the community should call program director JoAnne Wetzel at the Redwood City Public Library at 780-7014 or email her at wetzel@plsinfo.org.

The Redwood City Public Library offers many free programs for children, adults, and families, and helps our community to "understand the past, prepare for the future, and thrive in the present." For more information about library events and services you may pick up a calendar in any Redwood City library, visit the library's home page at www.redwoodcity.org/library, or call 780-7026.

Visit Redwood City 's main website at www.redwoodcity.org for information about the City and its services, the community, recreation programs, education, City government, and local business.

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Contact:
Celia LaRiviere
Resource Development Supervisor
(650) 780-7045