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Making Literacy Moves

Our Vision

To Change Lives Through Literacy Services In Our Community.

Our Mission

To provide a range of literacy services and training that enables children, adults, and families the opportunity to achieve success.

Case For Support

Working to increase literacy skills in Lucas, Wood, Definance, Henry, and Fulton Counties. It is estimated that more than 39,000 adults are reading at or below the 4th grade level. Our programs and services are designed to assist adults, children and families to gain the skills they need to have literacy success. Your investment in our program allows Read for Literacy the opportunity to bring essential services to those in need.

Our History

Read for Literacy was founded in 1986 through the merger of tutoring programs operating as the Toledo Area Literacy Council and the Junior League’s Project: READ. For the past 34 years, Read for Literacy’s volunteers have provided basic literacy tutoring and English Language Learning to adults in our community.

In 2008, we launched our first program with children, Creating Young Readers. Our trained volunteers read with children, ages 3-9, using the Dialogic Reading model to increase early literacy skills such as rhyming, alliteration and vocabulary expansion. Read for Literacy also works to build at home libraries for these students by sending home several books throughout the year.

Our Staff

Diana Bush

Executive Director & CPO

Annual Campaigns, Major & Corporate Giving, Planned Giving, Strategic Planning & Operations

419-242-7323 Ext: 11Diana.Bush@toledolibrary.org

Cheryl Rothschild

Adult & Family Literacy Director

Adult Basic Literacy, English Language Learners, Creating Family Readers and Creating Young Readers – Preschool

419-242-7323 x20Cheryl.rothschild@toledolibrary.org

Sanaa Orra

Creating Young Readers Coordinator

Creating Young Readers at selected Toledo Public School locations

419-242-7323 x16Sanaa.orra@toledolibrary.org

Randall Parker

Real Men READ-y and Creating Young Readers Coordinator

Real Men READ-y and Creating Young Readers at selected Toledo Public School locations

419-242-7323 x13Randall.parker@toledolibrary.org

Kristin Zilke

Claire’s Day and Creating Young Readers Coordinator

Claire’s Day and Creating Young Readers in Maumee City Schools

419-242-7323 x15Kristin.zilke@toledolibrary.org

Board

Stephen Dolley

President

Brian Craig

Vice President

Mark Walla

Treasurer

Joel Levitan

Secretary

Jenifer McHugh

Assistant Secretary

Adele Jasion

Past Board Chair

Diana Bush

Executive Director

Maria Bailey

Trustee

Selena Nicholas-Bublick

Trustee

Julia R. Bates

Trustee

Joe Wieligman

Trustee

Gary Corrigan

Trustee

Stephen Dolley

Emeritus Board

William Block

Emeritus Board

Bob Howell

Emeritus Board

B. Gary McBride

Emeritus Board

Brad Rubini

Emeritus Board

Julie Rubini

Emeritus Board

Financial Information

Our Awards

Northwest Ohio Nonprofit Innovation & Excellence Award – Small Agency Excellence Award, 2011 presented by The Blade and Toledo Community Foundation.

 The award was presented to Read for Literacy for the  positive impact the agency has on the community to promote literacy and for the tremendous 13-to-1 return, due to our efficient and talented all-volunteer based tutoring program.

Toledo Chapter of the NAACP Outstanding Service to the Community

Read For Literacy was recognized in 2011 for outstanding service to the community by the Toledo Chapter of the NAACP.

Claire’s Day Awards

Claire’s Day Founders Receive Hometown Hero Bridge Award

Julie and Brad Rubini were named recipients of the 2010 Hometown Hero Bridge Award for their work in creating Claire’s Day, a reading festival that brings authors and illustrators of books for children and teens to the Maumee Branch Library each May. The event was created in memory of their daughter Claire, who died unexpectedly of an undiagnosed heart condition in 2000. The event draws thousands of visitors and hundreds of local students receive awards for their achievements in reading.

A letter from First Lady Laura Bush

As a former public school teacher and librarian, and the honorary chairman of the Texas Book Festival, Laura Bush has been a tireless advocate of children’s literacy. It was therefore a great honor to receive a personal letter of support from the former First Lady in October of 2001.

Julie first learned about the Texas Book Festival in an article in a Time magazine tucked in her plane seat pocket while traveling to a family wedding six months after her young daughter’s passing in 2000.  The story inspired Julie, her husband Brad to form Claire’s Day Inc. to honor their daughter.

Julie was incredibly touched by the then-First Lady’s correspondence with her regarding the tribute that she and Brad founded, and supported by an awesome volunteer committee.

We hope the former First Lady will join us some day to see what her work inspired!