National Volunteer Week 2026 is a moment to celebrate the people who quietly power Strong Start’s mission every day: our volunteers. In this milestone 25th anniversary year, we are especially grateful for the steady, caring commitment that has helped a generation of young learners build foundational literacy skills and confidence to become lifelong readers.
This year’s theme, Igniting Volunteerism, describes exactly what Strong Start volunteers do. They spark progress with a warm welcome, consistent presence, and encouragement that helps a child build confidence and a love of reading. They also ignite volunteerism in others by sharing their experience, inviting a friend, and showing how meaningful 30 minutes a week can be when it is offered with care.
Over the past 25 years, over 42,000 dedicated Strong Start volunteers have contributed more than 711,000 hours across hundreds of program sites. Those numbers are extraordinary, but they represent something even more powerful: thousands of individual moments of connection, patience, and celebration that help children believe in themselves. Together, that commitment has supported more than 65,000 children on their reading journey.
Strong Start volunteers show up in many ways. Volunteer Coaches work one-on-one with children using evidence-based best practices including playing fun games and activities that strengthen letters, sounds, and decode and read words. Get Ready for School volunteers help children feel confident, offer encouragement, and help them feel ready to start school. Community members and corporate teams also give time behind the scenes by assembling and organizing learning materials so programs can run smoothly in schools and community settings. Subject Matter Experts drive the development of our proprietary technology, supporting program scale while enhancing usability and engagement for volunteers and staff. Board members provide governance, leadership and strategic direction. Every role adds fuel to the same purpose: helping children learn to read.
To every Strong Start volunteer, past and present, thank you for 25 years of compassion in action. You have helped open books, open opportunities, and open doors for children and families. This week, and all year long, we celebrate the impact you create and the volunteer spirit you ignite across our communities.
To learn more about how you can get involved, visit our volunteer opportunities page.