Southwest Precinct Community Police Team officers are usually the ones you’ll call about a chronic problem or concern in your neighborhood, rather than seeing them show up in an emergency situation. On Friday, we caught up with two of them in a setting aimed at solving a different problem – literacy challenges.

CPT Officers Jon Kiehn (top photo) and Jon Flores (2nd photo) visited Sanislo Elementary for an event hosted by the nonprofit Reading Partners, which has just expanded its 15-year-old program to the Seattle area this year; it manages tutoring programs at schools with the help of community volunteers working with students one-on-one, one hour a week, as explained in this New York Times report. Sanislo is one of two area schools (along with Beverly Park Elementary in Highline Public Schools just south of Seattle) where Reading Partners started work this year. According to Cassy Charyn of Reading Partners, 43 community volunteers are already signed up for Sanislo, and the goal is for them to help 40 students this year. You can help too, Charyn adds:

We are actively seeking volunteers, at least 14 years of age. No experience is necessary as we provide training and ongoing support, as well as a structured and easy-to-follow curriculum. We only ask for one hour per week for a semester to make the difference in the life of a child! Tutoring takes place on-site at Sanislo Elementary (West Seattle) and Beverly Park Elementary (South Seattle) Mondays-Thursdays, 9:25 AM-3:40 PM. Interested individuals may sign-up through our website OR contact our Volunteer Coordinator, Alexis, at (206) 992-4484 or email: alexis.acciani@readingpartners.org

We are in need of new and gently used elementary school books (especially for grades K-2). To donate books, please stop by Sanislo or Beverly Park Elementary M-Fri, 9-5 pm, and deposit books in our donation box (located in our Reading Center). You can also donate through the Westwood Barnes and Noble holiday book drive! Or you may search our Amazon wish list: Select ‘Find a Wish List or Registry’ and type in our email, volunteerSEA@readingpartners.org, to see a list of books we need!

P.S. Separate from this program, Sanislo families have been in the giving spirit this holiday season – while covering the Reading Partners event, we noticed their food-drive collection:

Some of the donations are going to Sanislo families in need, and the rest will go to the West Seattle Food Bank. (Lots of giving opportunities are still on the list in our WSB West Seattle Holiday Guide, by the way!)