Altrusa is an international non-profit organization, which supports literacy worldwide. The Lawrence, Kansas chapter invited me to speak at its annual fundraiser, Authors and Appetizers in February 2018. Members typically select an independent author as the speaker, and I was thrilled to be asked. 

The silent auction that accompanies the author’s presentation generates funds for student scholarships, books for newborns (that parents read to infants), and literacy programs in our public schools. It is a noble mission and one that authors should embrace.

When asked to participate, I also chose to support the organization by contributing to the auction. I filled a large basket with my books and offered “An Evening with the Author”–a French salon style reading and discussion. The top bidder for the salon was a housemother for one of the sororities on the University of Kansas campus. The date is yet to be set, but I know I will enjoy myself, and I’m hoping the housemothers will too!

I encourage all authors, who are close to the written word, to find ways to engage in their communities, especially those organizations that focus on reading and literacy.  And for those who are readers but not writers, I challenge you to interact with elementary schools, high schools, and your community at large to spread the word about “the written word.”

What ways have you found to interact with your community, or put another way what organizations would you like to engage in with regard to reading, writing, and literacy?