BookMates is a social justice project of the Jewish Community Relations Council and the Catholic-Jewish Commission of Southern New Jersey.

Our goal is to promote literacy and help young children become independent readers. BookMates volunteers share the experience of reading one-on-one with children who are beginning readers to promote the joy of reading.

The BookMates' focus on children in Title I schools, kindergarten through second grade who have little opporitunity to develop an appreciation for books. With the attention from caring adults these students may learn to find a joy in reading. Our mission is to empower these children to master the lifelong skill of reading and enable them to succeed in school and in life.

BookMates' volunteers read one-one one for one half hour with two children during the school day. The volunteer commits one hour a week, during the school year, working with the same two children for the duration of the school year. Through this one-on-one time, the volunteers learn the individual interests of the children, reading according to their desires.

http://jcrcsnj.org