Read Aloud West Virginia of Berkeley County is the local chapter of Read Aloud West Virginia, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to motivating children to want to read. The goal is to inspire a life-long love of reading that will enrich their lives and serve as a foundation for learning.
Read Aloud offers programs in book distribution, volunteer readers, reader-friendly classrooms, and community engagement. Working in cooperation with Berkeley County Public Schools, Read Aloud places certified volunteer readers in classrooms in 22 primary, elementary, and intermediate schools.
Read Aloud certified volunteers are reading to Berkeley County students in prekindergarten through grade 5. Readers are welcomed into the classrooms in person or virtually each week as friends, and form bonds with the students (and teachers) as they share their love for reading with young people.
Those interested in becoming Read Aloud volunteers are asked to take part in one approximately 90-minute orientation session before being placed in a classroom. Sessions are scheduled throughout the year, and will be announced in local news media, on the Berkeley County chapter's Facebook page, and on the Read Aloud page.
If you are interested in becoming a Read Aloud volunteer, or have any questions about the program, contact any of the local Read Aloud board members below or send us an email
Bob Fleenor (chapter president)
304-267-4899, 304-839-6749
Email Bob Fleenor
Ellen Turner (school coordinator liaison)
304-671-2000
Email Ellen Turner
Casey Willson (volunteer reader trainer)
304-839-4714
Email Casey Willson
Marilyn Kinyon
304-229-1854
Email Marilyn Kinyon
Beverly Hoffmaster (Instructional Specialist, Berkeley County Schools)
Email Beverly Hoffmaster
Lynne Seibert Steptoe
304-582-5109
Email Lynne Seibert Steptoe
Dana Phelps (volunteer reader trainer)
Email Dana Phelps
Sandy Cookus
304-263-6898
Email Sandy Cookus
Linda Henry
304-671-7837
Email Linda Henry
Caitlin Carson
304-820-3467
Email Caitlin Carson
Gretchen Matz
304-274-6538
Email Gretchen Matz
