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April 5, 2016

A better chance to thrive

By: Mike Holloway, volunteer reading partner in Dallas, TX

I am tutoring because I want to demonstrate, by my physical presence, time, and emotional commitment, that:

  1. I care about the plight of children living in poverty whose parents may not have the time, education, or self confidence to read to their children.
  2. By our efforts, the kids will see and thus KNOW that we are rooting for them to succeed (we ALL need fans rooting for us, the more the merrier, in my experience).
  3. The kids will improve their reading skills, and thus have a better chance to thrive in years ahead.
  4. The kids will not become discouraged about their potential futures, but will see they CAN succeed in life, and CHOOSE their own path, no matter the obstacles they may face.

Having written all those flowery words (every one of them as honest as I know how to be, but wordy, as usual), I would honestly boil it down to the fact that, as the simple song says:  “I want to be like Jesus”, by, as He said: “Loving my neighbor as myself”.


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