For Katelyn Lloyd, strengthening a community is hands-on work, and she traces that mindset back to job sites.
Lloyd, executive director of Partners in Outreach, grew up in Chester County watching her father, an entrepreneur and owner of Laffey Masonry, help build local staples, including clock towers, fire stations, schools, and gathering places. “Communities are built brick by brick,” Lloyd said, tying the long view of construction to the long view of service.
She has spent more than 15 years in nonprofit work, starting with a college internship and building a career centered on serving others. That focus now guides Partners in Outreach, an organization that works to improve the lives of children throughout Chester County by closing literacy gaps, supporting camp participation, and helping families celebrate holidays and cultural traditions.
Volunteerism is central to how the organization runs. All five programs are volunteer-led, powered by nearly 500 volunteers who reach about 6,000 children from birth through age 14 each year. The REAL Tutor Program pairs volunteers with students in Title I schools to build early literacy skills. The Classroom Reading Program brings volunteers into classrooms to read aloud and give students new books to keep through efforts that include Read Across America and the Reading Buddy Program.
Other programs provide practical support, including Operation Easter Basket, Operation Easter Outfit, and Summer Splash Camp Bags, which help children participate fully alongside their peers. Lloyd says the goal across programs is confidence, and she credits volunteer coordinators with turning ideas into action.
For local contractors and construction businesses looking to get involved, Lloyd points to options that fit different schedules, including tutoring, classroom reading, packing program materials, hosting drives, sponsoring programs, or organizing a company volunteer day. Businesses can also support the organization’s Laughs for Literacy fundraiser each October.
Read the full, original article from VISTA.Today here.