There’s no one way to volunteer with Chatham Reads. Whether it’s leading a book club, caring for a Little Free Library, reading aloud, or sharing books with children in the community, every volunteer helps inspire a love of reading. Today, we’d like to introduce you to Lendy Goldston, a Little Library steward whose love of books is making a difference in Siler City.
As a Little Library steward for Chatham Reads, Lendy Carias Goldston does much more than restock books. She keeps the Little Free Library at a neighborhood park in Siler City filled with books, checks on it regularly, and looks for creative ways to keep kids engaged in reading.
This summer she’s hosting free weekly read-alouds at the park she helped restore with community volunteers. For the first storytime, Lendy dressed as Little Red Riding Hood while a participant’s husky stole the show as the Big Bad Wolf. Her goal is to create a fun, welcoming place where children—many of whom don’t have access to camps, summer school, or books during the summer—can enjoy stories and take books home to keep.
Lendy is also helping Chatham Reads distribute free books at one of CORA’s SNACK! summer meal sites, where every child can choose a book to take home and keep. Together, these efforts are helping ensure more children in Siler City have access to books all summer long.
Lendy’s passion for literacy comes from personal experience. After moving to the United States from Guatemala at age 18, she arrived unable to speak English and uncertain about her future. A mentor encouraged her to keep pursuing her education, eventually leading her to become a kindergarten teacher at Siler City Elementary.
Lendy said the books she read helped her build vocabulary, understand her new community, and gain the confidence to pursue her dreams. “Learning to read in English changed my life,” she said. “Books gave me knowledge, opportunities, and hope.”
Whether she’s filling a Little Library, handing out books at CORA, reading to children in costume, or teaching in her classroom, Lendy hopes every child has the opportunity to discover the joy of reading. As she puts it, “I know reading changes lives because it changed mine.”
Join Lendy’s weekly storytime on Mondays and Fridays at 6 p.m. at 110 Chestnut Street, Siler City.
Learn more about volunteering for Chatham Reads and sign up here.