Despite the first snow of the season, more than 90 individuals joined us for Family Volunteer Day on Saturday, November 19! People of all ages—from toddlers to teenagers to grandparents—came together to make literacy kits for families in our community while they sipped on hot cocoa and listened to music.

The literacy kits were based around the book Hi! Fly Guy. Not only did each kit include the book, but also the supplies for at least four re-usable activities at a variety of skill levels that tie to the story.

While some volunteers did a little bit of this and a little bit of that, others found their groove in specialized roles. An engineer spent most of the day cutting-out flies with precision and speed, some young leaders helped man the laminating station, an 18-month-old had the time of her life throwing away paper scraps, and a group of international students from Kirkwood covered the hot glue gun station. Overall, the volunteers:

• Cut out more than 2,850 flies and ribbons
• Laminated 375 sheets
• Colored 210 bookmarks
• Made 210 fly-swatters
• Wrote 105 notes of encouragement

In just two hours, the volunteers were able to surpass our goal of 100 literacy kits! The kits will be given to students in United Way of East Central Iowa’s (UWECI) Volunteers in Proficiency program. These kits will help children and families foster a love of reading and read proficiently by the end of third grade—a predictor of high school graduation.

If you were unable to attend Family Volunteer Day but are still interested in giving back this holiday season, take some time to explore our Holiday Volunteer Guide. To learn more about volunteer opportunities, check out our Volunteer Now site for year-round opportunities for you and your family.