Read With Me shows appreciation to volunteers at annual luncheon in Rancho Mirage

Love, appreciation and gratitude filled the air in the ballroom of the Omni Rancho Las Palmas Resort & Spa in Rancho Mirage on April 16 when the nonprofit Read With Me Volunteer Programs (RWM) honored 24 volunteers among the 600 that gathered representing 22 local Coachella Valley Schools at its annual RWM Luncheon.

Traditional Mexican folk dancing presented by the mariachis and Foklorico dancing teams from Cesar Chavez Elementary School kicked off the festivities.

Sean Webb, director I, Literacy Outreach Riverside County Office of Education and Read With Me executive director welcomed everyone. RWM initiated a partnership during the spring of 2023 with the Riverside County Office of Education, which has allowed the nonprofit to expand its mission to assist children from low-income, limited English-speaking environments develop to their fullest potential by learning to read, comprehend and speak English while understanding that people care about them as individuals.

"It is with immense gratitude and excitement that we gather here today to honor the invaluable contributions of every one of you," said Webb to his audience of Coachella Valley volunteers, teachers, principals, Riverside County Office of Education administrators, board and staff members. "Your dedication and passion for fostering literacy have profoundly impacted our communities and transformed countless lives. As we gather to express our deepest appreciation, let us not forget the collective effort of the 600 volunteers who breathe life into our programs. Your tireless efforts and boundless enthusiasm have made our mission possible, shaping a brighter future for generations to come."

Greatly missed this year were the organization's newly retired founders, Roberta and Clay Klein, who recently relocated to the Midwest. The Kleins, who are still active with their cherished nonprofit of 20 years despite the distance, were featured in a welcome video at the beginning of the event. It was a touching film that had some in the audience in sentimental tears.

One of the many highlights of the day came about when Sherrie Auen, trustee and program director of the Auen Foundation, was awarded the prestigious RWM Angel of the Year award. The award was presented by incoming RWM President Jeannie Morris and Riverside County Superintendent of Schools Edwin Gomez.

Gomez, also a member of the RWM board, gave his annual inspirational and energetic speech, addressing those in the audience about the importance of their mentoring to underprivileged youth.

"Mentorship is extremely important every single time you, our volunteers, meet with students, even if it is only for two minutes or twenty minutes," he said. "The time you are investing in our students is the time you are truly interacting with them. Those interactions are powerful. They are ordained times of excellence, and they are extremely meaningful. When you meet with students, it is not only about teaching or going over skills. You are instilling confidence. You are planting seeds of hope."

After his talk, Gomez introduced former RWM student, Karen Magana-Aguilera, who had just won a full college scholarship to Pomona College. She credits RWM volunteers for helping her improve her reading skills and teaching her about persistence in life. She also gives credit to her incredible parents, Mexican-American field laborers, who encouraged her to follow her dreams.

"I cannot express enough my gratitude to the volunteers of this program for encouraging me to try reading in a language that I was not in my comfort zone," Magana-Aguilera said. "They helped me break the language barrier that most young students in my community face. Their tutoring has helped me to love to read and write in English in a positive light as a fun challenge. The Read With Me tutoring program was so successful, that I plan to major in English in college and to become a writer one day. I ask of you to please continue to support children and be a resource to those who need guidance towards a path to success."

Concluding the event was the presentation of Volunteer of the Year Awards to volunteers from RWM local schools from the school districts of Coachella Valley Unified, Desert Sands Unified and Palm Springs Unified, including Donna Dosch (Abraham Lincoln Elementary School), Suzy Voelkel (Agua Caliente Elementary School), Sue Bullock (Andrew Jackson Elementary School), Kathy Trepanier (Cathedral City Elementary School), Colleen Teles (Cesar Chavez Elementary School), Sherry Stein (John F. Kennedy Elementary School), Ann Zemke (John Kelley Elementary School), Les Welge (Julius Corsini Elementary School), Sandy Giovannitti (Las Palmitas Elementary School), Thomas Joseph O'Malley (Mecca Elementary School), Kris Adams and Stephanie Wernig (Mountain Vista Elementary School), Kathy Coplen (Oasis Elementary School), Patricia Allison (Palm View Elementary School), Ed Stites (Peter Pendleton Elementary School), Cindy Schutz (Richard Oliphant Elementary School), Frank Thomsen (Saul Martinez Elementary School), Robert Koch and Margaret LaVay (Seas View Elementary School), Glenn Bunting (Valle del Sol Elementary School), Linda Carlos (Valley View Elementary School) and Hillary Andrage (Van Buren Elementary School).

Also receiving awards were Bruce Hall, regional coordinator of the year, and Anne Hanna, Read With Me Literacy Field Days coordinator.

Read With Me Volunteer Programs' volunteers have to date donated 12,168 hours to RWM students. However, the nonprofit still needs a few hundred more people to fill empty slots. To become an RWM volunteer, visit readwithmevolunteers.com or call Rachel Ruiz at (760) 567-1830.

DeAnn Lubell, writer, novelist and publicist, has represented nonprofits and businesses in the areas of marketing, event planning and fundraising productions in the Coachella Valley since 1991. She is a PR and marketing representative for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Coachella Valley and Read With Me Volunteer Programs as well as her own nonprofit Amy's Purpose, an educational pet safety and predator awareness and counseling service.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Read With Me shows appreciation to volunteers at annual luncheon