Today we’d like to introduce you to Kay Limbach
Hi Kay, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I began thinking about starting a literacy nonprofit during the fall of 2020. I knew students would be more behind with reading due to the pandemic and virtual learning. So many families in the Cincinnati Public School system did not pick up a chrome book for virtual learning so the schools lost contact with them. I started with an idea and a heart for helping students learn to read. The fall of 2021, I received an email form the IRS recognizing Winn Reading as a 501 (c) (3). My hard work had paid off and Winn Reading was now officially a nonprofit.
I was able to connect with our first school, thanks to a referral from a parent. Her child’s teacher was open to the idea of me volunteering weekly with her preschoolers and kindergarten students. I had my foot in the door, and today we support fifteen teachers in that school. Currently, we support students in three Cincinnati Public Schools with thirty-two Literacy Mentors committing one hour a week working with the same students in the same school. We lead story times once a month in a plant shop. Last year, we tutored twelve students over the summer and saw first hand how working with a tutor once or twice a week did help the students make reading gains while having fun at the same time.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I was told starting a nonprofit, and maintaining one was not easy. I found this to be very true. I thought getting into the schools would be easy but this has not been our experience. We have to find the right person to contact, send many emails back and forth to find an open door. Winn Reading offers free tutoring for students in K-3rd grade in Cincinnati schools. We know the schools need support, they just don’t make it a welcoming experience at the beginning of the search.
As a nonprofit, we are constantly looking for grants to support our services. Finding money to support our overhead cost is the difficult part of this journey.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Winn Reading is a children’s literacy nonprofit I started with a desire to help students in K-3rd grade with reading support in the schools. I have a Master’s Degree in Elementary Education and was a classroom teacher for five years. I left teaching to stay at home with my daughters. My heart has always been with children and learning.
I am most proud of how far Winn Reading has come over the last three years. We started with only one school and four or five tutors. We recently added a third school in need of much academic support. Winn Reading has onboarded eight new tutors in the last month. Today, we have a total of thirty-three Literacy Mentors , all with a desire to make a difference in the lives of children though helping them gain confidence with reading. Winn Reading’s Literacy Mentors do not need to have experience teaching children. We offer continuous training to help them feel confident and understand the approach to teaching reading.
Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
I think anytime you start something new, you take a risk. I spent much time going through the many steps involved in starting a nonprofit. I did not always know what I was doing. I did reach out to a mentor who guided me along the way. My nonprofit, Winn Reading, grew quickly. There were many times I felt overwhelmed with all of the work involved with a nonprofit. I do not have a business background so I rely on Winn Reading’s Board Members to offer advice and help with tasks.
I look back now, and am proud of myself for taking the risk of starting a nonprofit. I sat with the idea for a year before I found the courage to start because risk taking was new to me. The risk I took was knowing my idea for a literacy nonprofit might not be successful. Thanks to support from my family, friends, and Winn Reading’s Board Members, Winn Reading continues to help students win at reading.
Pricing:
- Free Tutoring
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.winnreading.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/winnreading
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/winnreading
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/winnreading
