Abby's Reading Partners Fundraiser

My story of why I got involved with Reading Partners:

My law firm mentor and friend, Amanda Shaw, became involved with Reading Partners (“RP”) in New York City due to a connection with a long-standing client. Amanda had a career as a prison guard prior to and while she attended law school, and Amanda was drawn to Reading Partners’ mission because of the impact she saw with illiteracy and the link to incarceration and repeat offenders. She immediately understood the importance of the program in a way that most could not. Amanda lived in Houston (where RP does not currently have tutoring opportunities), but she spread the word about Reading Partners in our firm, asking us all to attend online presentations during the shutdown in 2020 and when the world reopened we attended some fabulous events in NYC which benefitted RP.  Sadly, Amanda passed away suddenly in early 2022.  

I knew I wanted to find a way to honor her memory, and since I was already a supporter of the Reading Partners’ mission through Amanda, I did a little digging and discovered that RP had a North Texas presence. I started volunteering as a weekly tutor at the elementary school near my home in 2022. From my first tutoring session, I knew this organization was one I wanted to throw my energy behind. It is truly changing the lives of children in a demonstrable and impactful way. Literacy is the bedrock of success, and every child deserves the opportunity of a brighter future.