Current Volunteers

SitStayRead could not deliver its programs without its dedicated volunteer Interns, Book Buddies, and Certified Reading Assistance Dog Teams. Each one of our volunteers is integral to our operation and success, and many fill more than one role. We give our deepest and most sincere thanks to this amazing group!

View Volunteer Resources  Find Volunteer Opportunities

Book Buddies

Become a Book Buddy

Janya Allen
Emily Bailley
Sri Battula
Sam Baudinette
Kathryn Bequette
Sandy Boyd-Jansen
Otto Braun
Cindy Cardona Osorio
Olivia Cell
Nancy Chacon
Jeannine Cleary
Lauren Comitor
Siena DeBolt
Simrin Dhillon
Sophia Dramm
Kelly Durkin
Joanne Fessett
Jason Gaines
Jenee Garrett
Miriam Gevinson
Arianna Gonzalez
Alec Greenberg
Kimberly Grzesek
Kaylen Hall
Leslie Heller
Katherine Hill
Kara Johnson
Caroline Joshi
Colleen Kareti
Christina Ketcham
Kevin Kinnamon
Janette Kopec
Christopher Kovach

Sarah Levin
Alina Lewis
Jayla Lewis
Emma Luke
Kathy Lynch
Andrea Mandel
Jayne Mendius
Kirsten Miklos
Ian Molnar
Susan Muldowney
Arianna Nagaro
Ludovique Nappee
Lori Novak
Carmen Ochoa-Galindo
Sunitha Palat
Celina Pennacchio
Yasmin Perez
Nguyet Pham
Susan Sanders
Kendall Saunders
Megan Schmitt
Natasha Segarra
Danielle Silver
Ella Silvers
Victoria Simpson
Rhonda Singer
Ana ten Brink
Bryant Torres
Emma Vibber
Arushi Virmani
Susan Walker
Sydney Wheeler
Taylor Williams
Zarai Zaragoza

Dog Teams

Become a Dog Team Volunteer

Michele & Wrigley Berman
Monica & Gigi Bologna-Huerta
Carole & Rolo Burns
Linda & Miss Kardashian Carallis
Gianna & Mary Jane Carrozza
Carolyn & Sadie Coutts
Jason & Lulu Darwell
Harry & Happy Devereux
Boni & Toby Fine
Tara & Huey Finnegan
Stephanie & Woody Gendron
Blair & John Hannah
Harla & Rocky Hutchinson
Mary Lu & Lola Johnston
Nancy & Essie Joseph
Jami & Obi Kasle

Joanna & Asher Lansburgh
Jake & Ozzy Lemis
Peggy & Marc Luther
Avi & Mowgli Mayerhoff
Carol & Sadie Miecznikowski
Rhonda & Banjo Milkowski
Catherine & Kermit Painter
Nancy & Laika Rampson
Emily & Roman Randecker
Viki & Cosmo Rivkin
Joseph & June Saltarelli
Mandy & Mabel Shaw
Amy & Frankie Smolensky
Warren & Izzy Solochek
Jason & Schroeder Stell
Melissa & Waffles Strum
Linda & Pita Trevino-Garcia
John & Merrill Wagner
Peggy & Mabel Walden

Interns

Learn more about Internships

DePaul Summer Intern

Nicole Ambler

Northwestern University Medill School - Cause Marketing Initiative

Nirmala Kumari Polisetty
Krithikha Radhakrishnan
Kritika Aiyer
Yeran Lu

NEIU

(2025-26)
Mongohnay Brown
Mayra Carreon
Asmita Das
(2024-25)
Vanessa Benitez
Lexi Bujak
Dalila Chacon
Shiva Rodrigues
(2023-24)
Lesly Chuquimarca Luchinni
Prabowo-Mandayo
Brittany Sanchez
(2022-23)
Catherine Castrejon
Agnieszka Hajkowska
Eduardo Salazar

High School Interns

Simone Stell (2025-26)
Jamaria Stamps (2023-24)

Six people stand and sit around a table displaying children's books, many in Spanish, smiling at the camera in a library or classroom setting.

Volunteer With Us

SitStayRead is currently recruiting volunteers for the next school year. Volunteers are essential in helping our staff deliver meaningful programs in our partner schools and classrooms. Learn more about Volunteer requirements and how to sign up on our Volunteer page.

Volunteer Opportunities

Internships

SitStayRead’s High School Internship program is currently on hold for the 2024-25 school year.

Our NEIU Internship program is active and currently recruiting. If you are an NEIU student interested in hearing more about our internship opportunities, please contact our Volunteer team.

Contact Us 

Four women pack books and supplies into plastic bags at a table in an office or classroom setting.
Six adults stand and smile in a living room with two large white dogs on the floor in front of them. The background includes modern furniture and decor.
Two boys sit on the floor reading a book to a fluffy white dog, with an adult sitting behind them, indoors.
A woman stands outside a building, smiling and holding a small dog wearing a blue bandana labeled "Certified Reading Assistance Dog.
Three children sit on a colorful rug raising hands and interacting with a small brown dog wearing a blue bandana, accompanied by an adult seated nearby.

Volunteer Resources

This information hub is for any and all SitStayRead volunteers!

Looking for merch to help represent SitStayRead anywhere you go, hoping to find an event where we might need a few extra hands or just to drop by and say hi? Hoping to find an orientation or looking for volunteer professional development resources? Need help with our new volunteer sign up hub or just want to catch up on the latest news from the team?

Browse below and if you have any other questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our Volunteer Program Manager.

Contact Us

Ten people wearing name badges sit and kneel together outdoors on cushions and rugs, smiling at the camera. Trees and a fence are visible in the background.

Events

Our SitStayRead team and volunteers can be found at events across the city! Check out our calendar and come say hi or ask about joining us as a SitStayRead representative.

This is also a great place to find our orientation schedule and dog certification testing days!

A group of young children in school uniforms sit on a colorful classroom rug, each holding a copy of the book "Love Me Gently" and smiling at the camera.

News

Find our latest updates and a hub of past newsletters and announcements here.

A medium-sized brown and white dog with a blue bandana lies on a red blanket indoors, mouth open, next to a seated person holding its leash.

Volunteer Hub Assistance

Have a question about how to navigate our volunteer hub? Need more information or help signing up for a volunteer opportunity? Visit the Bloomerang Volunteer help page.

A young child sits on the floor showing a book to a therapy dog wearing a blue vest, while an adult stands nearby indoors.

Video Tutorials

Watch our tutorials to help you navigate the Boomerang Volunteer pages.

A teacher and four young students sit on chairs in a gym, holding children's books and smiling, with orange bags on their laps. Other students are seated in the background.

Contact the Volunteer Team

Need more help or have a question for our team? Reach out to our Volunteer Coordinators directly with our contact form.

Volunteer Background Checks

Some of our programs have different background check requirements for our volunteers.

Our Volunteer Program Manager will let you know what you need to do for your specific program, but below you’ll find some general information about each partner’s process.

CPS Background check requirements

Acero Background check requirements

Help Chicago Students Become Confident Readers

When young students build strong literacy skills early, their confidence grows– in the classroom and beyond. Help support Chicago early literacy programs by donating or becoming a volunteer.

Donate Today Explore Volunteer Opportunities