Get Involved

We truly appreciate our volunteers and so do the children in the community. We have dozens of dedicated women and men who give generously of their time to support children’s literacy and educational development in our community. They are met with smiles and gratitude from the children, families and school staff alike.

Our volunteers engage in a variety of activities that benefit the children who attend the Westerly Schools. They gather to distribute new backpacks filled with school supplies, necessary for each school year. They participate in Book Parties, guiding children in selecting treasured books for their personal libraries, reading books aloud, assisting with craft activities and serving special treats to mark these special “book fair” occasions.

Many volunteers make weekly visits to our local Head Start and elementary schools. They work one-on-one or in small groups; reading to and listening to young readers, and supporting the children in honing their literacy skills.

Vicky Saglio is one of our many wonderful volunteers. She has charming anecdotes to share about her experiences with the children. “I know it sounds corny, but we learn so much from them [the children]. It is so nice for me to be with the children because I miss my own grandchildren. It connects me to the community, too.” 

Becoming a volunteer is an easy process and a rewarding venture. All you need is a love of children and a little time to spare. There are two main volunteer opportunities available:

1) Reading with children in the Westerly Schools during the school year, usually one hour per week. No special training is required; however, we occasionally offer workshops on how to support developing readers. Mrs. Anita Guarnieri, Reading Specialist at the Springbrook School, has been very generous with her time and expertise; and 

2) Participating in book party events. This occurs once at each elementary school; and includes distributing books and backpacks, reading aloud to a group of children, assisting with a craft project and serving ice cream. Each Book Party event requires approximately two hours of your time. You may volunteer for one or more Book Parties.  These events take place during the summer. 

All volunteers must go through a simple and cost free process for security clearance. There are two forms to fill out, one of which can be done online. The second must be brought to the Westerly Police Department. Go to westerly.k12.ri.us, click on the Community tab in the menu and find volunteers in the drop down. Press volunteers and you will see the two bullets (in blue) for the forms. 

If you are interested, or have any questions, please fill in the confidential form on this page. It is not a commitment, just an indication of interest. You will be contacted by Volunteer Coordinator, Pam Stewart. You may also contact her directly at pbls1@verizon.net

Thank you for your time and interest.  We appreciate YOU!