Sue and Elaine
2012
We celebrated our 46th anniversary here at Reading Is Fundamental Nov. 3, 2012. Through the dedication of countless volunteers and staff, we have provided more than 35 million children with their own, free books since our founding in 1966. Here’s one of our stories …
Almost 30 years ago, a young woman walked into a library in Statesboro, Georgia. Sue was looking for help. Her daughter was just 3 and would be heading to school soon. But Sue couldn’t even recite the alphabet.
Sue’s goal wasn’t simply to learn her letters. She watched as children visiting the library chose their own free books from the Reading Is Fundamental. She saw young mothers like herself sit down with their children to read the new books. She saw the joy on the children’s faces as they took their new books home.
Sue wanted that experience with her young daughter.
For the next couple of years, Sue worked with Elaine McDuffie, a librarian and RIF coordinator. Though it was challenging, she persevered. And when her daughter was in kindergarten, Sue came with her to the library as she chose her first RIF book.
Elaine remembers that day.
“It was one of the most memorable moments in my life, watching Sue read that book to her child,” said Elaine.
Sue went on to get a good job where she excelled. She moved her family into a new neighborhood. Reading had opened a world of opportunities to Sue and her child and, eventually, Sue and Elaine lost touch.
Fast forward 25 years. Another young woman with a small child walks into the same library, seeking out Elaine. She explains she’s Sue’s daughter. With tears in her eyes, she points to a young boy next to her grasping a book to his chest.
She tells Elaine, “That’s Sue’s grandson. He loves reading because of you.”
She goes on to tell Elaine about RIF and what it meant to her as a child. She said she remembered coming to the library and getting books, and having her mother read them to her there and later, at home. She still had some of her own RIF books that she’d kept for over 20 years.
She stressed what a major role the library and RIF played in her mother’s life, her life, and finally her son’s life.
And she just wanted to thank Elaine – for planting that first seed.
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What a great story…three generations touched by Reading Is Fundamental. In the 34 years that I have coordinated and volunteered with RIF, this story reminds me of the hundreds of children and families that our RIF Project introduced to books. Then they developed a love for books and began reading just for the joy and fun of it. Many of our RIFers have gone on to do well in school and in life. Most importantly however, they have remembered to credit RIF for contributing to their success.
Thanks so much for sharing. We love hearing from our coordinators — and our alumni! Feel free to encourage them to drop us a line with their own stories.