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We love our volunteers!
Page Ahead volunteers are critical to our ability to reach over 26,000 young readers all across the state. We are so grateful for their help in putting brand new books in the hands of kids who need them most. There are so many ways that our volunteers make our programs happen. They sort, shelve, and sticker books, maintain and restock our many Book Oasis libraries, read to kids during Story Time, serve on our committees and Board of Directors, help kids choose their books at Book Up Summer book fairs, and so much more!
This year, more than 306 volunteers donated over 3,266 hours to Page Ahead to help us give EVERY kid the chance to read. We have the utmost gratitude to each and everyone of them! Thank you volunteers!
And, an extra-special thank you to the winner of the 2024 Sarajane Beal Award for Volunteer Excellence, Sharon Litvinoff!
Sharon has been a volunteer with Page Ahead since 2019, when she began as a Book Up Summer book fair helper at West Seattle Elementary. Since then, Sharon’s role at Page Ahead has blossomed; now serving on our program committee and acting as a table captain for our annual benefit luncheon, while still finding time to continue being a book fair helper.
With Sharon’s incredible online research skills, Page Ahead was connected to new book vendors, helping us lower costs and buy books in over five new world languages. She is also a vocal advocate of Page Ahead programs, spreading the word about us to other community groups she is a part of.
Sharon’s passion for Page Ahead and her many hours of service to all of our programs helps us to support so many schools and children with books and the joy of reading. Thank you, Sharon! You truly make a difference at Page Ahead!
Page Ahead’s impact this year
During the 2023-24 program year, Page Ahead:
- Provided 26,654 kids with 308,885 new books,
- Partnered with 167 preschools, elementary schools, and other community organizations,
- and stocked 19 little free libraries with over 6,000 books!
We extend a heartfelt thank you to everyone who was a part of this journey–it takes many people to make this work possible.
New Board Members
Page Ahead is excited to introduce the newest members to our Board of Directors! We are looking forward to the coming years with them and their experiences and visions for Page Ahead!
Indrani Bhattacharjee is a Senior Manager, Technology Products and Solutions at Starbucks. She understands that the pathway to having access to professional peer groups starts in early education and childhood literacy. Page Ahead’s mission directly addresses “book deserts” and promotes joyful reading that are key indicators of future success.
Lydia Islan is a Director of Business Operations at F5, and came to technology via healthcare operations and a stint in management consulting. Lydia has served on the Page Ahead finance committee since 2017, and is excited about the opportunity to join the board for a second term and expand her support of Page Ahead and its important mission.
Holly Koelling has over 25 years of experience working in public libraries in Colorado and Washington state. Following her early retirement, Holly has worked for the Kirkland Arts Center and Leadership Eastside. She believe deeply in equity for all, especially equal access to information and equal opportunity to develop the skills necessary to understand and use that information.
Nicole Lightner is a Director on the Construction Disputes and Advisory (“CD&A”) team at the consulting firm Ankura. Nicole has attended the last four years of luncheons (Covid years notwithstanding), volunteered at Book Up Summer, Book Fairs, and, during Covid, helped Page Ahead books to warehouses and schools
Emily Rondestvedt is currently a Vice President at KidKraft with 14 years experience in developing and executing omni-channel sales strategies for large CPG brands. Emily started volunteering with Page Ahead in late 2022, helping with bookplate packets and supporting book fairs
We also welcome our two new Board Fellows from the University of Washington!
Dilyara Begalykyzy is currently pursuing a Master of Public Administration at the University of Washington, with a focus on public policy and civic engagement. She is passionate about economics of development, and she aims to enhance democratic practices globally. Dilyara is dedicated to mentoring students, guiding them through their academic journeys. Besides academics and professional life, she enjoys traveling. In her free time, she engages in creative projects and participates in civic initiatives.
Emily Floyd is in the second year of the Evening MBA program at UW Foster and is thrilled to be a Board Fellow at Page Ahead. Currently the Senior Business Manager for Secret Lair (Magic: The Gathering) at Wizards of the Coast, she has a passion for developing and growing businesses that encourage self expression and creativity through play. In her spare time, Emily performs at Renaissance Faires all over the country.
PACCAR Book Drive at the Mariners
While the Mariners played against the Tampa Bay Rays in their last homestand, Mariners Care and PACCAR hosted a book drive to benefit Page Ahead at T-Mobile Park!
Thank you to all game attendees who participated in our book drive! With your support we will be able to give away over 700 brand new books to kids who need them most!
What we’re reading…
Beth Griffith has been a volunteer with Page Ahead since 2019. Her support of Page Ahead ranges from helping at special events to being a Story Time reader in kindergarten classrooms in Seattle. Here’s what she has to say about a book she recently finished/is currently reading:
“The book that sticks out for me most recently is Kristin Hannah’s The Women. I read this book with my book club and could not put it down. The story is not just of nurses in the Vietnam War, but the bond between three women of different backgrounds and how they continued to be the glue in each other’s lives after the war.
I learned so much about the Vietnam war and was honestly ashamed that I knew so little. I was 10 when the war ended, but still surprised I hadn’t learned more in school. The loss of lives on both sides was horrific. I was shocked also reading how veterans were treated when they returned from war and especially that women were never acknowledged for their service.
‘Frankie’, the main character, was motivated to join the war after being told, ‘Women can be heroes too’. The story shared how so many veterans were left to deal with mental health and substance abuse issues without support. The three women in this story were heroes and inspiring examples of giving hope to each other up. They gained strength from each other with their lasting friendship. Women’s contributions weren’t always acknowledged (sometimes still aren’t), but these women worked together to lift each other up. They are strong role models for women and the friendships we form today.”
