Karen Ligas, executive director

As our fiscal year winds down at the end of June we bid farewell to a handful of committed volunteers who are finishing up their time on our board of directors. We are so grateful to Katie Jones, Amanda Ladd, Max Miller, Kim Norvell, and Mike Sheehy for their tireless efforts on behalf of EWI. Everybody Wins! Iowa is led by a working board. Our directors are hands-on volunteers who make detailed decisions about our program and finances; write grants; produce much of what you read about EWI, organize events to recruit mentors, raise money, and increase the visibility of the program; and represent the organization at events throughout the Des Moines area. We deeply appreciate the efforts of these volunteers.

Stacey Cooper and Nyamal Gatluak are new board members who will help lead EWI as we kick off fiscal year 2024-25. We’re delighted to welcome them. Are you interested in joining EWI in a leadership role? In addition to mentoring and volunteering at special events, we always welcome new faces on our board of directors and recruitment, special events, and marketing committees. Our next committee meeting will be held July 1 at 5:30 pm. If you’re interested in serving, please email me. For more information, click here.

We’re looking for volunteers to distribute books at lunchtime Summer Meal Meet-ups in Des Moines parks in conjunction with Central Iowa Shelter and Services. For times and locations, please contact Anna Sunstrom. It’s a quick and easy way to help Des Moines kiddos build their home libraries. 

One-to-one matches are the hallmark of Everybody Wins! Iowa. One student, one mentor, every week of the school year. But of the 385 mentors who read during the past nine months, twenty-one took on added responsibilities. “These are mentors who want to be at more than one site, who go above and beyond, and they really show our mentors’ dedication to the program,” says volunteer manager Anna Sunstrom.

"There is something very special about a mentor who reads at multiple sites,” adds Stacy Pearce, program manager. “These mentors are often veterans who can help build a camaraderie among the mentors at each site. We can count on them to be there every week, and they are always willing to jump in and read with another student if a mentor is gone. And even though the load they carry is a little heavier, they almost always need nothing in return; they just do it because they really enjoy the time they get to spend with the students."

Gaye Wiekerak says it was an easy decision to add a student at Lovejoy Elementary School when she heard that mentors were needed there because she’d already had wonderful experiences mentoring at Emerson Elementary School. “It’s not difficult to read two hours a week,” she says. “It’s a lot of fun. It’s extremely rewarding to see how happy and engaged the students are when they’re reading or listening to a book they like and how excited they get when they are given a book to take home.” 

Sharon Gentsch, who reads at McKinley, South Union, and Stowe elementary schools, echoes those sentiments: “It’s not at all difficult to be involved and be a part of the lives of students at three schools. The kids look forward to the time and are so appreciative. There have been times over the years that I have been the only constant relationship in their lives. It’s all about the children knowing someone cares  about them, makes time for them, and thinks they’re important.”

EWI extends its heartfelt thanks to the following mentors who read at multiple schools: 

Marsha Braun: Cattell and Findley

Kay Colacino: Crestview, Greenwood, and Hubbell

Tracy Crew: Moore and South Union

Eldon Cross: Howe and Lovejoy  

Gerald Damsky: Maple Grove and Monroe

Steve Evans: Northwest and Southeast  

Bill Eddy: Carver and Edmunds

Susan Espeland: Perry and Maple Grove summer program 

Sharon Gentsch: McKinley, South Union, and Stowe

Joan Haack: Northwest and Southeast  

Jolene Harlow: Hubbell and Maple Grove summer program

John Hughes: Carver, Moulton, and South Union

Jodi Ingham: Hillside and Maple Grove summer program

Del Konopka: Northwest and Southeast  

Sue McCaffrey: Northwest and Southeast

Cindy Moisan: Maple Grove and Monroe

Luke Roth: McKinley and Maple Grove summer program

Mandy Newton Rosenow: Maple Grove and Stowe

Joyce Sharp: Carver, Downtown School, and Hubbell  

Deb Thie: Northwest and Southeast

Gaye Wiekerak: Lovejoy and Emerson

Overheard

We survey the parents of our students each spring to assess the impact of Power Read. Here are some of the comments we received from parents last month: 

"Being a part of the program gave him another space to practice his reading. I have seen his attitude towards reading improve."

 "She has the confidence to read at her own pace. She sounds out her words and isn't embarrassed by it anymore. She used to get very discouraged but now has the confidence to keep going"

"Relationships are so important….My son's father isn’t in his life and his eyes light up anytime he gets to form a new relationship with a positive male role model."

"He is enjoying reading and LOVES his reading person. He seems more outgoing and speaks up more."

Reading Room

June 20 is the internationally recognized date on which the world honors the journeys refugees make and celebrates the innumerable ways they enrich their new communities. We encourage you to enjoy the books shown below with Books the Bear and take in the cultural celebration at Des Moines’ Franklin Junior High from 12 to 4 on June 22. The free event features cultural performances including dance, music, poetry, storytelling, fashion shows, and more.  

The cost to support a Power Read student this summer is $150. Our funding is behind, and we could use your help. Please click here to donate. 

We are always grateful for the support of all our program sponsors. Our May donors include:

$2,916.67

United Way of Central Iowa (Power Read monthly grant)

$250.00 - Carylann Mucha

$100.00 - Michael Diver

$100.00 - Garrett Neel

Did you know you can make a significant impact by donating monthly? Every dollar counts and each donation is greatly appreciated. Remember to check to see if your employer matches your donations or volunteer time spent reading with your student.

Here is our progress through May 2024:

Interested in mentoring, joining the board, or serving on a committee? Click here.

Have an idea or suggestion for Power Read, Everybody Wins! Iowa, or The Bookworm? Click here.

Everybody Wins! Iowa is a central Iowa non-profit organization whose mission is to increase children’s success in school and life through one-to-one reading and mentoring experiences with caring volunteers. Our signature program is Power Read, in which students read with the same volunteer mentor every week, usually over lunch. Here’s a look at our current statistics through May:

Total students served: 444

Total volunteer hours: 6,379

Total volunteers: 405

Mentor attendance: 86%

Total mentors: 385

Other volunteers: 20

Student attendance: 92%

Total books distributed: 2,574