CHARMERE’S STORY

Reading is Fundamental and a Middle School Mentor creates positive changes inside and out.

By the time Charmere was in the third grade, she had already changed schools multiple times. She had been having some behavioral issues and often found herself in in-school-suspension. But when Charmere started participating Reading is Fundamental, a United Way funded agency, things began to turn around.

Attending the Everyone Wins program opened Charmere up to reading, and she found a true love for it. She learned that in order to read with her mentor, she’d have to make improvements and stay out of in-school-suspension.

“Charmere began attending our Everyone Wins program, where we pair adult mentors with students to read together once a week during lunch,” Reading is Fundamental’s Murphi Cook said. “She bonded quickly with her mentor, Matt, and was excited to see him every week.”
Matt, a Reading is Fundamental mentor, saw a spark in Charmere. “At first, she wasn’t very interested in reading, but by the end of the school year, she wanted to take books home and share them with her friends,” Matt said.

“Our weekly Reading is Fundamental days became a goal for Charmere — especially for our end-of-year party which she was determined to be at,” Murphi said. “That week, she had perfect behavior, and was so excited to see Matt and get some books for the summer.”
Charmere’s reading program not only made her a stronger reader, it became an incentive to work harder on her behavior.

United Way partners with agencies like Reading is Fundamental to help local kids build character, succeed academically and reach their full potential. To learn about how you can get involved to support local kids, visit https://uwswpa.org/be-a-volunteer/.