DES MOINES, Iowa — September is National Literacy Month, but "Everybody Wins! Iowa" is working to increase literacy in central Iowa year-round.
The organization's mission is to increase students success at school and in life with the help of volunteer mentors.
"We come alongside the teachers who are teaching those literacy skills to the students by bringing in volunteer mentors who are there to really motivate and encourage students to want to read and to learn to read, and we provide books and resources for the schools," said Karen Ligas, executive director of "Everybody Wins! Iowa".
The program celebrated its 20th anniversary last year. In 2023, "Everybody Wins! Iowa" hopes to serve 450 central Iowa students across 30 schools and seven school districts.
For those looking to support "Everybody Wins! Iowa", there are plenty of ways to get involved.
"The highest need is for mentors to meet each week," Ligas said.
If you don't have time to commit to being a mentor, you can support the organization by volunteering at events such as the Latino Heritage Festival, sponsoring a student or buying books from the organization's Amazon wishlist.
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