Read With Me volunteer honored with Palm Desert Citizen of the Year award

Pat Harris is a prime example of a volunteer extraordinaire. Shortly before the holidays, her amazing contributions to her community came to light at the annual Palm Desert Area Chamber of Commerce Citizen of the Year Awards 2023. Harris has actively been involved with supporting nonprofits in the Coachella Valley, including Read With Me Volunteers, an organization founded by Roberta and Clay Klein in 2004.

"We are thrilled that Pat Harris received this prestigious honor," said Sean Webb, director 1, Literacy Outreach Riverside County Office of Education and Read With Me's executive director. "Pat's unwavering dedication to fostering literacy in our community has touched countless lives. Her tireless efforts in organizing reading initiatives, mentoring young minds and promoting a love for learning have made a profound impact.

"Pat's commitment to education and community engagement exemplifies the spirit of volunteerism. As a Read With Me Volunteer tutor and executive board member for the past five years, she has tirelessly worked to uplift students and provide them with the essential tools for success. Her impact extends beyond the classroom as she selflessly organizes annual fundraisers at her home, directing the proceeds towards benefiting students in the Coachella Valley."

True to her nature, Harris is humble about her award. She considers it to be an honor to be included with the other nominees, who very much impressed her with their dedication, kindness and all the wonderful things they also do for their community. Her involvement with Read With Me Volunteers has been inspired by her great love of children.

Her friends often say: "Those kids are so lucky to have you." And her response is always the same: "I am so lucky to have them. I hope that others will follow their heart and find a way to give back for all the blessings that come in return."

Back in 2008, Harris learned that Read with Me was looking for volunteers. She was excited because it sounded like something she would like to do. She then started volunteering in a second-grade class once a week. A few years later, she began volunteering with a third-grade class as well on a different day. She was hooked from the start and impressed with the program and its successes. She enjoyed helping the children with their reading skills. English, for many of the children in the east valley, is their second language. Most are smart and eager. They just need time and encouragement from a kind adult.

"Roberta Klein, founder of Read With Me Volunteers put together a simple and effective plan to increase reading skills, especially comprehension," Harris said. "We read with the children to provide help with phonics and comprehension. They are given books to take to their homes and keep. It is exciting to watch them improve their skills. They are excited as well.

"The program has grown from our start at Mecca Elementary School to now more than 20 schools. We provide volunteers across the Coachella Valley. The more volunteers we have, the more children we can help. … Sign up and help us to continue to help all the children in the Coachella Valley find success in their future."

There are 22 schools in the Coachella Valley as well as Tahoe and Reno that participate in the Read With Me Volunteer Programs. Its mission evolved to help disadvantaged children who live in poverty and come from homes where no English is spoken to learn to read and speak English.

All research on the effectiveness of education indicates that if a child is not reading at grade level by third grade, they will drop out of high school and fail to succeed at work and often get in trouble and wind up in prison. In 2004 only 51% of the students, mainly from the east valley, graduated from high school. Now, 19 years later, 86.1% of the students graduate from high school. Read With Me Volunteers has played a significant role in improving those scores.

For more information, visit readwithmevolunteers.com.

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.

Want to volunteer for Read With Me Volunteer Programs?

This nonprofit organization is accepting fully vaccinated volunteers to commit two to three hours once or twice a week to help tutor children in person on campus. For more information or to obtain an application for this rewarding volunteer opportunity, call (760) 567-1830 or visit readwithmevolunteers.com.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Read With Me volunteer honored as Palm Desert Citizen of the Year