Hartford Mayor Bronin presents Volunteer of the Month Award to Read to a Child® Mentor

Hartford, CT, September 24, 2018 – Hartford City Council President Glendowlyn L.H. Thames and Mayor Luke Bronin’s Office today presented the Hartford Volunteer of the Month Award to long-time Read to a Child volunteer reading mentor Richard Wasserman.

A partner at Day Pitney LLP, Mr. Wasserman received the coveted award for his outstanding commitment to at-risk children in Hartford as both a Lunchtime Reading Program mentor at the Betances School and as Read to a Child’s regional board chair.  Read to a Child is a national non-profit literacy and mentoring organization with programs in Greater Boston, Detroit, Hartford, Los Angeles and Miami.

Each month, based on nominations from members of the community, one adult and one youth are selected by representatives from the Mayor’s office, City Council, and relevant City departments to receive a Volunteer of the Month Award.

Mayor Bronin stated, “Read to a Child is an important partner for Hartford Public Schools. Mr. Wasserman’s leadership as the Regional Board Chair and volunteer shows his strong commitment to improving children’s literacy in our city. On behalf of the City of Hartford, I express our sincere gratitude.”

Mr. Wasserman added, “I am honored to receive this award.  I accept it on behalf of Read to a Child and my Board colleagues who continuously work to garner resources and recruit volunteers for Read to a Child.  My volunteer work in the classroom is always one of the best parts of my week.  I hope others will consider this wonderful opportunity to make a difference in a child’s life.”

“I am extremely pleased that Rich has been recognized for his outstanding service. Not only is he a wonderful role model for the children he mentors, but he is also an excellent board chair and a civic minded member of the community,” said Paul Lamoureux, CEO of Read to a Child. “On behalf of Read to a Child and the many thousands of students who have participated in the Lunchtime Reading Program, I sincerely thank Rich for his service and for his dedication to improving children’s literacy among those most in need.”

About Read to a Child:

 Read to a Child, www.readtoachild.org, is a national literacy and mentoring non-profit that fosters a love of reading, improves literacy skills, and empowers underserved children by inspiring adults to read aloud to them regularly.  Research shows that reading aloud to children is the single most important activity for eventual success in reading, a key factor for success in school, work, and life.  When an adult reads aloud to a child, both parties have a joyful, rewarding experience that instills a love of reading, improves literacy skills, and enhances a child’s self-confidence. Read to a Child’s Lunchtime Reading Program utilizes more than 1,800 volunteer mentors from over 150 socially-minded organizations who read one-on-one to more than 1,400 at-risk elementary school students in Greater Boston, Detroit, Hartford, Los Angeles and Miami.

Media contact:
Kelsey Landeck
Read to a Child
781-489-5910
kelsey.landeck@readtoachild.org