As Phillips and 830 other local volunteers will tell you, the world stops when a community volunteer with a book and a smile marches into the classroom each year for the Read-In. The chaos filters into rapt attention, a moment of Zen that leaves students and readers inspired. And he doesn't plan on missing the next Read-In on Sept. 21. The Read-In is designed to ignite a passion for reading and display its practical applications for success. Each year, volunteer readers fan out among the county's classrooms to share stories with students.
Kids adore having a guest, but they also absorb the volunteers' simple delight in the written word.
They see good readers with good jobs. They equate it with success. Phillips used to tell them about his '72 convertible VW Beetle until he parted with the car years ago. But this is good information. Kids make the connection and hear stories with a new relevance.