Lending library brings students, mentors together

Intermountain Catholic

+ Enlarge

Brandy Robertson (left), Jeanne Pence and Carla Tuffin display the books collected from Smith's Food on 33rd South for the Roosevelt Elementary School lending library. IC photo/Christine Young

SALT LAKE CITY — When Jeanne Pence retired after 37 years of teaching, she had no idea she would become an AmeriCorps volunteer and coordinate the Read Today program at Roosevelt Elementary School in Salt Lake City.

Part of this work required establishing a lending library for at-risk children.

Read Today is sponsored by AmeriCorps and United Way and has been endorsed by Utah Governor Gary Herbert. Volunteers with the program meet regularly with children who have difficulty reading.

At Roosevelt Elementary, 32 different languages are spoken, 60 percent of the students speak English as a second language, and 12 percent of the students are refugees from various countries.

Pence retired from teaching first grade in 2012 from Saint Vincent de Paul Elementary School. She was bored, and her son told her to call AmeriCorps.

"I did, and it has changed my life," said Pence. "These children had absolutely no books to take home to read. They come to school on five buses and have no way of obtaining a public library card. They cannot learn to read without books."

Pence has shopped at the Smith’s Food & Drug on 33rd South and Wasatch for 10 years and "knows the employees like family," she said. "So I asked for help."

Brandy Robertson, Smith’s customer service manager, made a book drop box for customers and employees, and "we are going to continue to help," she said.

Carla Tuffin, Smith’s assistant store director, agreed to help. "We are doing what we can to display the books and support Jeanne in her cause because what she is doing is fantastic. Her motto is ‘Soaring into Reading,’ so we attached balloons to the box to attract attention."

Roosevelt Elementary School’s lending library was made possible because Jennifer Reed, Roosevelt Elementary School principal, and Pence work as a team, Pence said. "I was able to tell her what I needed and she figured out a way to make it happen."

Pence was responsible for getting the volunteers with the help of one of her volunteers, Jerry Burton, and was the first to have her program in place, said Reed. She has 54 volunteers and 120 students.

Roosevelt Elementary has 511 students: 89 percent receive reduced or free lunch.

"While we do have a lot of stable families here, we have a lot of students who struggle," said Reed.

The volunteers who assist the children are mostly retired. "It’s good for the kids because they get help with reading, and also have a mentor; somebody to answer their questions and become a friend," said Reed. "The students are able to make academic gains through the program, and have been able to improve with the one-on-one tutoring."

Research has proven that one-on-one instruction makes the difference in a child’s life and "helps cognitive development," said Pence. "What’s so heartfelt in this particular situation is the volunteers have become extended family for some of the children."

The volunteers get as much satisfaction out of the program as the kids.

"The kids make you feel so good because they act like, ‘You’re listening to me,’ ‘You’re giving me your time,’" said volunteer Mardene Denison, with tears in her eyes. "I do it out of love for the children. I just converse with them and am a friend to them, but I make sure they read and meet their requirements. They are so friendly and I just love them."

Carmela Castañeda is a United Way volunteer who began tutoring because she thought it was a good match for her.

"I loved and excelled in reading as a child and I wanted to give back," said Castañeda. "Most of the students love reading and it’s nice for them to have positive role models."

The students wrote thank-you letters to the mentors during an appreciation reception Nov. 19.

Carter thanked Denison "for helping him read," and said she is "funny, smart, kind and helps him a lot."

Magditaha, another student, also thanked Denison for her support. "You are a wonderful tutor," she said.

To donate books to the Roosevelt Elementary Lending Library, call Jeanne Pence at 383-646-4996.