CELEBRATING 20 YEARS OF LITERACY
WEEKLY BOOK CLUB BRINGS JOY TO LANGLEY RESIDENTS By Elizabeth Petrun Sayers
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n Tuesday evenings, Junior League of Washington (JLW) volunteers host a weekly book club with Langley Residential Support Services (Langley) residents. Langley is a nonprofit organization that serves adults with developmental disabilities, their families, and local communities by providing quality housing and support services. JLW and Langley have a long-standing relationship, established in 1988, when the League helped fund a new group home. Throughout the life of this partnership, JLW volunteers have initiated new activities with Langley residents, including formation of a book club. “The Langley adults are the best part of this committee,” stated JLW Langley Chair Emily Jordan. Meeting weekly, JLW volunteers establish friendships with Langley residents. Vice Chair, Kara Massey, enjoys watching the Langley adults develop their reading and social abilities throughout the League year. As she puts it, “we share what’s going on in our lives each week. So you learn about them, and eventually, you find a lot of connections. For example, one of the adults was a military kid; I was, too.” Each week, JLW volunteers focus on improving reading, technical skills, promoting self-confidence, and providing opportunities for social interaction. This year, the book club is kicking off with Judy Blume’s Freckle Juice, which follows a
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Fall 2019
Committee members Christina Harrison, Jina Choi, Emily Jordan, Kara Massey, Kristyn King, Lollie Corrigan, Hallye Smith, Christine Becer, Emily Almand, and Sarah Juckett kick off book club in fall 2019. young boy who desperately wants freckles. Jordan shared other favorite books, which have included biographies of famous figures, such as President Abraham Lincoln. Jordan typically selects the books for the club based on experience and Langley adults’ preferences. She looks for books that will be accessible to several different reading levels and, most importantly, will be enjoyable for attendees. JLW volunteers are responsible for planning each book club’s agenda. For example, committee members create discussion questions and activities to ensure the meetings are efficient and productive. The meetings must accommodate a variety of literacy levels, ranging from those who need assistance while reading to others who read at third-grade level. JLW volunteers are able to cater to different proficiencies by convening small-group discussions. Gathered around tables, Langley adults participate in
dialogue about what they enjoyed the most about each book, what they think will happen next, and how the story may or may not relate to their everyday experiences. Over time, these book club sessions have made a big impact on Langley residents. For example, Langley attendees look forward to the weekly gatherings to catch up with other residents who live in different group homes. After the summer break, several Langley adults were eager to update the group about changes in their lives while the book club was on a hiatus. The Langley book club fosters a love for stories and reading, while also evolving to provide a platform for sharing so much more. The number of JLW volunteers at Langley may be small, but their impact is not. Simply looking around the meeting room at the smiles, laughter, and conversation during the Langley book club hint at the importance of their work. •
