23 April is all about World Book Day. Books are beneficial to us for many reasons, and although it might seem like they are widely available, not everyone enjoys the privilege of reading books.
InterNations members Rosario, Kalyan, Vanessa, and Lorna took action for a good cause and show us how they helped underprivileged children to get access to books.
Opening a Children’s Library in Santiago de Chile
InterNations members in Santiago have been supporting the non-profit initiative “Vision for Chile” for several years. The children living at the “House of Hope” come from a very poor background, and the initiative offers them a safe place to live, especially to girls.
Rosario Maza, InterNations Santiago Volunteer Group Consul, has noticed the importance of books for those children. She organized an InterNations Activity where books were donated in order to open a children’s library at Casa Esperanza’s Kids Zone. 
“Books will always be a good friend for children, not only for the stories you can find in them, but also because you can take them wherever you go and they belong to you.”
And that’s exactly what it is like! Once the children learn how to read and get a feeling for what all those words mean, reading a book gives them the opportunity to step into another world.
Rosario adds: “I have always thought of reading a book as an honor because someone with more knowledge and experience gave their time to share it. There are many ways to gain wisdom and reading a book is one of them.”
Celebrating “Read Across America Day” in Washington, D.C.
Read Across America is an annual reading motivation and awareness program that calls on every child in every community to celebrate reading on 2 March, the birthday of beloved children’s author Dr. Seuss, born in 1904.
Kalyan Prasad from the Washington Volunteer Group decided to join the initiative and gathered InterNations members of the Washington Volunteer Group to acknowledge the bright personality of Dr. Seuss. The evening was filled with games and a raffle to win prizes, and every attendee donated to the charity initiative First Book.
With the entrance fee of ten USD, four new books for underprivileged children could be bought. So this event ended up being both a fun and generous evening!
“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You’re on your own. And you know what you know. And you are the one who’ll decide where to go…” — Dr. Seuss, children’s books author and illustrator
Fighting Poverty in Zurich and New York
“If every child received an education, 171 million people would be lifted out of poverty” — that claim is made by the international organization Room to Read. Room to Read believes that changing the world starts with educating children.
That was reason enough for Lorna Quinn (InterNations Zurich Volunteer Group) and Vanessa Pranzo (InterNations New York Volunteer Group) to support this wonderful cause and get more people involved. While 23 InterNations members came together for a fundraising dinner in New York, Lorna gathered people at an after-work yoga class in Zurich, where every attendee made it possible to provide one local language book to a child in need.
“To Hell with Death” — Raising Awareness for Sick Teenagers in Munich
On 19 April, Christina Williams and the Munich Volunteer Group Consuls will host the twelfth InterNations Social Impact Night, a new event format for all InterNations members interested in socially relevant topics.
This month’s event is dedicated to International Books Day. Kira Brück, a German author, will be the keynote speaker of the evening and share her experience about writing her book Der Tod kann mich mal (To Hell with Death) about twelve seriously ill teenagers who tell stories about their life, their hopes and fears. 
If you’d like to get involved in activities for a good cause, please check if there is a Volunteer Group in your InterNations Community. Every InterNations member can join the group and take part in the activities!
Find out more about the InterNations Volunteer Program on our About Page or write to [email protected].
(Image credit: InterNations)
How can I get volunteer work in muscat.I am new in this group.
Hi there,
I want to volunteer my services in different ways either teaching or by any aspect.I am already internations member.
Hi Faisal,
Thanks for your interest in our Volunteer Program! To find out if there is an InterNations Volunteer Group in your local InterNations Community, please log in at our webite and go to our Groups section:
https://www.internations.org/activity-group/
A click on the link called “Volunteer Program” in the left-hand menu will show you if there’s such a group already. If there isn’t, you will find a contact form for members interested in creating a new group themselves. Hope that helps!
Best,
Margit
I am living part time in Lugano, Switzerland. I am an experienced ESL teacher. I would be interested in volunteering to teach adults and/or children to read and learn the English language in the Lugano area under the auspicious of the Lugano Internations Chapter.
Hi Joseph,
Thanks for your interest in the InterNations Volunteer Program and your generous offer! However, I’m afraid that we don’t have a Volunteer Group in Lugano yet. In case you should be interested in creating a new group yourself, please write to [email protected]. Thanks!
Best,
Margit
Dear
I can reach in.Monaco
German language children family aso
And
Art creation
Please contact me.
Sent me some offers or connections.
Have 3diploma design economy project management.
Have experience to teach children prepare them for their fist school time.
How can I get involved in volunteer work in Cape Town, South Africa?
Hi Fairoza,
Thanks for your interest in the InterNations Volunteer Program! However, I’m afraid that we don’t have a Volunteer Group in Cape Town yet. In case you should be interested in establishing one yourself, please write to [email protected]. Thanks!
Best,
Margit