Blog

It’s funny how your perspective changes when given the chance to get involved. What first got me involved with READ Saskatoon is different than what’s kept me involved since 2009.

In 2008, I had started to think seriously about how I could give back to a community that had given me so much – my family, my friends, my education, and the list goes on. I decided I wanted to volunteer for a local non-profit, and began to think about what I could offer.  I had studied English at the University of Saskatchewan, and reading had always been a big part of my life. I also had a daughter who, at only 4 years old, had taken to reading so passionately that she had already started making her way through the Harry Potter series. It made such an impact on her life – fundamentally changed the way she saw the world.  When I learned about READ Saskatoon, it seemed (and still seems) incomprehensible that an adult might not have the same broad access to the world as my daughter.

Looking back, these are all good reasons to volunteer for a literacy organization.

But things have changed.

After a number of years on the Board of Directors and having met the staff, volunteers, and numerous adult learners, the main reason I’ve continued to volunteer with READ Saskatoon is the people. The people in any organization are crucial to its success, and READ Saskatoon has managed to recruit some of the most talented and committed staff and volunteers I’ve ever known. And the learners who come through our doors are an enormous source of inspiration. Their dedication to improving their lives through literacy is deeply moving, and inspires me in ways I could never have imagined.  

I will continue to serve READ as long as they’ll have me, and I’m grateful for the work that this extraordinary community of literacy advocates does every day. And of course, I’m thankful for this change in perspective that’s given me a broader understanding of our community.

 Luke Muller is READ Saskatoon's current Chair of the Board and long-time volunteer.