Former AAUW SLO Branch Member, Linda Thompson, passed away at the age of 84 on October 16th, 2024 in Tucson, Arizona. AAUW was an important part of her life. She held memberships in a branch in Oregon and then later in our branch. In our branch, she partnered with the Friends of the Library (FOL) to bring an in-school reading program to Hawthorne Elementary School. Later, the renamed FOL/AAUW In-School Reading Program expanded to C.L. Smith Elementary School, with former member Dolores Soll as co-coordinator. On Linda's obituary page, which can be read
here, current members, Susan Updegrove and DD Patrick shared their remembrances of Linda, recalling her — and their — involvement in this very meaningful activity.
The reading program, which was suspended during COVID, paired "each adult volunteer with children for two weekly, one-on-one 30-minute reading sessions. Volunteers model the joy of reading while supporting each child’s efforts to read independently. Each student participant receives books to take home, as research has shown that shared book reading and the availability of books in the home during a child’s first formative years are the strongest predictors of early literacy skills."
Linda's passing reminds me that given the success that this program had, we have been considering if there's a way to revive this program post-COVID, which would require a new coordinator. Maybe that's you?
With condolences to Linda's family and friends,
Debra
