A year of stories, smiles and encouragement came full circle as we celebrated our Reading Buddies students and volunteers across three elementary schools: Dunwoody Springs, Ison Springs and Lake Forest Elementary.

Thanks to the dedication of 64 caring volunteers, 154 students spent the year building confidence and a love of reading through weekly one-on-one time together. To keep the momentum going all summer long, each student headed home with new books, a stuffed animal “Reading Buddy” and handwritten notes of encouragement from volunteers at Sandy Springs United Methodist Church and the State Farm Innovation Group. At Sandy Springs Education Force, programs like Reading Buddies help students strengthen literacy skills while showing them an entire community is cheering them on. Thank you to every volunteer who helped turn reading time into meaningful connections and lasting memories. @sandysprings.umc @statefarm