Probably one of the busiest events of the year, the SF Family Festival was a huge success for the Early Literacy Initiative! The ELI team and our amazing volunteers welcomed over 10,000 participants to the event with our literacy stations and reading area. The stream of families and children was non-stop, as was the busy “All About Me” book, puppet making, puzzles and games, and parachute play! Our volunteers even had the chance to help DCYF with the ever popular jump houses, KQED with their book activities, and Tree Frog Treks with Trucker the turtle and Tiki the bearded dragon!
The crowds were relentless -- we barely had time to rest and grab a bite to eat, let alone stand the 45 minutes in line to use the restroom! After the event was over I had time to sit and reflect, and came to the following conclusion: the weariness of my limbs, the numb state of my mind, as well as the memories of all the kids’ bright eyes and smiles are all signs of another ELI event well done! We couldn’t have done it without our volunteers so once again, THANK YOU. GO TEAM!
**If you are interested in being a Jumpstart ELI volunteer, contact Nicole at Nicole.sirivansanti@jstart.org**
the rhythmic sounds of African drums, joined in the lighting of the Kwanzaa candles, and made Kwanzaa wreaths and placemats with Jumpstart. The turn-out was fantastic -- we even had a first-time library visitor, 17-month-old Miracle! The night ended with the crowd playing Kwanzaa Bingo and chowing down on a deliciou
s fried chicken dinner! Thanks to everyone who came and Happy Holidays! We hope to see you all, new friends and old, again in the new year!
