Whether you have a few hours a month or want to get involved more regularly, there are many ways to support children’s literacy in Chatham County. Chatham Reads, a program of the Chatham Education Foundation and Chatham County Schools, has the following occasional and ongoing opportunities available.
Occasional Opportunities
📚 Sort Books
Help sort children’s book donations and prepare them for distribution across the county. This behind-the-scenes work has a big impact. Book sorts take place once or twice a month at the CEF office at Horton Middle School in Pittsboro.
🛒 Organize & Restock Bookshelves at CORA’s Food Pantries
Help create welcoming literacy spaces for families by organizing, tidying, and restocking children’s bookshelves. Volunteers are needed for both CORA locations (Pittsboro and Siler City), about once a month.
🔧 Repair & Maintain Little Libraries
Assist with light repairs and upkeep of our Little Libraries so they remain safe, sturdy, and inviting. This help is on an as-needed basis.
Ongoing Opportunities
🏘️ Steward a Little Library
Become a steward for one or more of our Little Libraries. We provide the books. Stewards help keep the libraries stocked, tidy, and welcoming for the community. Check out our Little Library locations here.
🏫 Support School Libraries
Assist with school library operations, such as shelving, checking books in and out, weeding outdated materials, and organizing collections. Read more about this weekly opportunity, including how to apply, here.
🗂️ Catalogue Classroom Library Books
Support teachers by cataloguing classroom library collections. Cataloguing happens weekly at schools throughout the county.
📖 Read Aloud to Students (Pilot Program)
Join our Breakfast Book Club, and read aloud to small groups of students. This pilot program will take place at Moncure School during breakfast (7:30-8:15am), two days a week. Read more about this opportunity here.
👉 Interested in one or more of these opportunities?