Photo: Salem Book Buddies Program
SALEM, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — For a 7th year in a row, the Salem Book Buddies program is helping kids grow a love for reading, one page at a time.
The goal of the program is to pair every single third grade in the Salem Public Schools with a book buddy, a volunteer from the community who will write letters back and forth with their student through out the year, as well as recommend books based on their likes or dislikes.
"It really encourages some of them to read more, or try a different kind of book," Cindy Theriault, co-founder of the Salem Book Buddy program told WBZ NewsRadio's James Rojas.
The program isn't just about reading but also gives students the opportunity to brush up on their letter writing skills. This year, organizers are looking for some 340-volunteers and while they've had a number of female community members sign up, they're in need of male volunteers.
"We've very short on men volunteering," Theriault said. "If guys think that it's too much work, it's not. I don't know how else to get them to step up."
So far about 300 women have signed up, but only 40-50 men have done so.
If you're interested in signing up to be a volunteer in the Salem Book Buddies Program, you can do so by emailing Cindy Theriault at pcterri@comcast.net
WBZ NewsRadio's James Rojas (@JamesRojasMMJ) reports
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