By Erik Merke

Whether you’re a teacher, tutor, parent, or student, you know the power of a favorite book and the joys that come from reading.  Obviously, there is a feeling of satisfaction and fulfillment when volunteering, but A to Z goes beyond that.  When A to Z isn’t sending books to impoverished schools in Zambia, they help local residents through community outreach events, such as the book fair held at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Crystal Lake.

Students of all ages filed into the gymnasium looking for books.  Getting just the right book into the hands of an eager young reader was my goal that day.  Each volunteer hoped to ignite a spark that would ultimately transform a casual page-turner into a life-long reader.

As new books found themselves into the bags of each student who came to shop, I could see their smiles as they browsed the table tops.  That’s what volunteering at the Clinic was all about for me -getting kids excited about reading books.  As I talked about various authors and explained book plots, I hoped they saw how much I liked books, and that my enthusiasm would rub off on them.  It was an awesome experience and I look forward to volunteering again.