Daily Inspiration: Meet Jessica Payne

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jessica Payne.

Hi Jessica, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
My story really starts with my organization Kids Need to Read, a national non-profit literacy organization that serves children all over the country. Evolving from a service project in 2007, and quickly transforming into a nonprofit organization in 2008, Kids Need to Read has provided thousands of books to children lacking adequate access to reading resources and continues to expand its reach throughout the country.

Program goals are accomplished by targeting three major factors affecting the development of strong literacy skills among children: availability of resources, parental engagement, and neutralizing the regressive effects of the “summer slide.”

By teaming up with schools, libraries, and other literacy organizations to vigorously mitigate this issue head-on, Kids Need to Read will continue to connect children with books, and illustrate the connection of books with a brighter future to avoid losing another generation of our underserved youth to a challenging life of illiteracy.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
No one could have predicted the crash in the economy that came in tandem with the Kids Need to Read’s founding. Additionally, the need for assistance from the Kids Needs to Read’s program immediately compounded. To help speed up the foundation’s growth, Founder Denise Gary made the decision to shift the organization from an online charity dependent exclusively upon donations and auction earnings, to a physical entity capable of conducting community fundraising events.

Sensing that Phoenix, Arizona would give the foundation its best chance of survival, Gary moved from Texas to Arizona in January of 2009. The Phoenix area had exhibited an unusually high level of support for the organization, as well as a strong awareness of a decline in children’s literacy within the area.

The move proved to be fortuitous not only for excellent community participation, but because of fruitful partnerships with Phoenix Comicon (now Phoenix Fan Fusion), Arizona Coyotes Hockey Club, Arizona Renaissance Festival, Barnes & Noble Booksellers, Bookmans Entertainment Exchange, Changing Hands Bookstore, Pi Beta Phi Phoenix Alumnae Club, and other companies, groups, and foundations. Significant physical donations from Komikwerks, LLC, and Highlights for Children, Inc.

Provided the organization with an early boost on the national level. Highlights for Children continues to be a major contributor, as does the Amy B. Morrill Charitable Lead Annuity Trust. Browncoat groups and Nathan Fillion fans remain steadfastly supportive of the organization, raising thousands of dollars every year in unique fundraising activities.

2019 saw the addition of me (Jessica Payne) as the Operations Director in addition to the world changes that came with the COVID -19 pandemic. The past two years of COVID-19 school and library closures have had a few surprising and positive outcomes. Not only do we enjoy strong relationships with unlikely organizations, but there is also now a greater recognition of Kids Need to Read and its mission amongst the types of schools and organizations that we traditionally serve. This is evident in the increase of requests from schools and nonprofit service agencies across the country.

In 2021 founder Denise Gary decided to retire and I was appointed as the new Executive Director. I use my experience from teaching high school and my love of literature and service to constantly pursue growth for Kids Need to Read. It is through this persistence that Kids Need to Read is excited to proclaim over one million dollars in books being distributed for the second year in a row.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
One of the greatest shocks of my life took place during my first year of teaching when I discovered that many of my students had no access to books at home. This was a discovery that I made year after year at every school that I taught at for fifteen years.

My remedy for that was to spend thousands of personal dollars to make sure that my classroom library was always filled to the brim with books. My students never had an excuse for not having something to read and if I had a student that wanted a particular book I made sure it was available to them. As a reward, I had students every year who improved their reading scores consistently, simply because they had access to books.

I have held many roles at Kids Need to Read since I was introduced to it long ago at Phoenix Comic-Con (now Phoenix Fan Fusion). I started by volunteering for two years before being invited to serve on the organization’s board of directors. After three years of board service, I left my teaching career of fifteen years to join the staff as Kids Need to reading’s Operations Director in 2019.

Literacy and literature are my deepest passions. I graduated from Northern Arizona University in 2004 with a degree in Secondary English Education and an extended major in English. I am a voracious reader who during my teaching career had always promoted reading for pleasure as a vital part of every student’s day. Additionally, I strongly believe in the power of community service. As a teacher, I designed and encouraged many service-learning projects for my students, many of which benefited Kids Need to Read.

I am so grateful for the opportunities that I receive as the Executive Director of Kids Need to Read. In this role, the children of America are “my kids”. In the Phoenix area community and beyond I am often able to support student-led service projects and by supporting Teachers, Librarians, Service, and Community leaders Kids Need to Read can provide books and reading resources to the vulnerable children that they serve, I am able to do exactly what I did in the classroom, encourage literacy and empower children through reading.

What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
The literacy problem and lack of access to books are not going to go away anytime soon.

The problem is vast and includes so many factors from economics to even geography. Just because the problem is large doesn’t mean that we should give up. Kids Need to Read may not be “the” solution, but by simply providing books to underserved and vulnerable children we are at least a part of the solution.

Looking towards the future Kids Need to Read plans to continue expanding its giving and hopes to reach over two-million dollars in giving in the next 5 years. In 10 years, we hope to be able to grow and create chapters in areas across the country where there is a balance of strong need and community support.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: www.kidsneedtoread.org
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kidsneedtoread/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kidsneedtoread
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/kidsneedtoread
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/KidsNeedToRead