July 27, 2023 – ADM colleagues joined summer campers at the Boys and Girls Club of Decatur this afternoon to wrap up a summer partnership dubbed ‘Reading is Fun’ with the perfect treat to beat the heat: ice cream!
Every Tuesday and Thursday throughout the summer, around 18 ADM employees, divided into teams, served as reading buddies to children aged 7 to 13, helping them grow their literacy skills. With the summer camp ending this week, the volunteer readers hosted an ice cream social and awards ceremony Thursday afternoon for the students to celebrate their accomplishments.
Mary Cunningham, a senior paralegal in ADM’s law department, said the opportunity to work one-on-one with a camper for the past few weeks was heartwarming. It’s her second year volunteering with the ‘Reading is Fun’ program, and she enjoys taking time away from the office to spend time with local youth.
“It’s nice to work directly with the kids, to have that one-on-one interaction,” Cunningham said. “I think they feel a sense of community when they see an actual person. They’re fun to read with—they always remember us when we come!”
With around 100 campers total enrolled in the Boys and Girls Club’s general summer programming, staff said they were grateful for the time ADM workers spent bonding with their campers. Charlotte Cook, the Boys and Girls Club’s Grant Manager and Teen Reach Coordinator, said the kids looked forward to Tuesdays and Thursdays because they knew ADM would be stopping by.
“They always ask, ‘is that lady coming?’,” Cook said. “They listen to the volunteers and see that’s something they can do in the future—go be mentors. They enjoy the volunteers.”
Although the program is fun for campers and adults alike, Cook underscored the importance of the hands-on reading practice itself. She emphasized that ADM volunteers are making a positive difference in local kids’ educations, one book at a time.
“Of course, reading is fundamental, and it’s sad to say, but some of them can’t read at an age where they should be reading,” Cook said. “So this helps.”
To Cunningham, the program speaks to a larger culture of service at ADM. As a large employer of Decatur residents, she said she’s glad ADM commits to investing in its community.
“It’s like we’re part of the community,” Cunningham remarked. “We feel like the community is part of us, so it is just a great environment to give back.”
‘Reading is Fun’ was sponsored by ADM Cares. To learn more, click HERE.
