The Junior League of Raleigh works with nonprofit partners CIS Wake County and Read and Feed to address literacy skills and food insecurity for K-5 students in our community during weekly tutoring sessions.

Communities in Schools of Wake County helps schools remove barriers that put students at risk of wasting potential. CIS Wake’s mission is to surround students with a community of support, empowering them to stay in school and achieve in life. For more than 30 years, CIS Wake has provided academic support combined with academic enrichment for K-12 students in schools and public housing communities. CIS Wake believes every student deserves:

• A one-one-one relationship with a caring adult
• A safe place to learn and grow
• A healthy start and a healthy future
• A chance to give back to peers and community
• A marketable skill to use upon graduation

3rd grade reading proficiency is the most important predictor of high school graduation and career success; yet last year, more than 58% of Wake County’s low-income 3rd grade children failed to read at grade level.

Read and Feed partners with local, Wake County schools to identify children at risk and below reading level. At the beginning of each session, Read and Feed gives each child a nourishing, well-balanced meal. Each session, children spend 75 minutes of high-impact tutoring with a tutor on their reading skills. At the end of each session, the children select three books to keep to build their home library.

JLR Impact
JLR has partnered with CIS Wake since 2001 and Read and Feed since 2017 to provide volunteer and financial support, first at its Heritage Park community learning center, and now at Kentwood. Each year, approximately 15 League members volunteer at the learning center where they serve as tutors to support the development of literacy and other academic skills, provide meals to address food insecurity and build relationships with the students they serve. JLR members plan an annual holiday shopping market and other special events throughout the year to recognize students who have demonstrated academic achievement and personal growth.