Volunteers are usually matched with one student at an elementary school or after-school program, and are generally asked to give one hour of their time per week.
The program was created in response to President Clinton’s “America Reads” challenge, which aims to place 1 million volunteers in U.S. classrooms so that all children will be able to read by third grade.
Leonard Fein, the former editor of Moment magazine and the national founder of the JCL, will be in the Bay Area to help launch the second year of the program locally.
There will be three kickoff events, all at 7:30 p.m., on Monday, Sept. 11, at the Jewish Community Center of San Francisco, 3200 California St.; Tuesday, Sept. 12 at Peninsula Sinai Congregation, 499 Boothbay Ave., Foster City; and Wednesday, Sept. 13 at U.C. Berkeley Hillel, 2736 Bancroft Way.
For information or to sign up, call (415) 977-7460, (650) 494-7180 or (510) 839-2900 ext. 272. Anyone interested in attending a kickoff event is asked to RSVP.