INDIANAPOLIS, June 2, 2025 – Indy Reads is pleased to share that the organization hosted its first formal classroom volunteer appreciation and learning session event since the COVID-19 pandemic! As the only organization committed to serving the most beginning-level adult learners in the region, Indy Reads relies on a dedicated corps of more than 300 unique volunteers annually to advance its vision of 100% literacy for all.
“As a truly community-based organization, we are grateful to the volunteers who give their time and talents year after year. We could not do what we do without them,” Ruba Marshood, Indy Reads’ chief executive officer said.
“Volunteers have been central to our work throughout our 41 years delivering literacy programming to adults in central Indiana. In fact, it is because we get to bring volunteers, adult learners and their families, and teachers together with many other supporters and participants, that we build community in all of our spaces. Many of our classroom volunteers serve with Indy Reads in excess of five years, a testament to the meaningful relationships they build. This gathering honors that sentiment and reaffirms our strategic commitment to foster and encourage ongoing learning that enhances the classroom and volunteer experience overall.”
A presentation and discussion led by Vice President of Community Impact Darci Hawxhurst focused on volunteers’ own metrics for success, building trust and community, practices to recognize the full scope of student progress without relying on testing alone, and a desire for more learning opportunities, all of which aligns with the organization’s strategic plan.
Indy Reads expresses its sincerest thanks to all Program Year 2024-2025 volunteers. To learn more about volunteering with Indy Reads, visit www.indyreads.org/volunteer.
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About Indy Reads
Indy Reads builds literacy, English language, and job readiness skills to empower adults and their families to reach their full potential. For more than 40 years, the nonprofit organization has worked toward a vision of 100% literacy for all. High literacy levels grant access to greater developmental, educational, civic, and career opportunities. Current statistics show that 1 in 6 adults in Indiana read at or below a fifth-grade level. Through its Community Classrooms and Programming, Indy Reads advances social equity through education, helping adult learners increase their English language and literacy proficiency, prepare for their High School Equivalency (HSE) diploma, and build workforce skills to improve their employability and advancement potential. Indy Reads is proudly one of few organizations that serves adults of all literacy skill levels, including the most beginning-level and beyond.
To learn more about Indy Reads visit www.indyreads.org.