In Kansas City, Missouri, Kathy Walter-Mack fills several positions at the popular Metropolitan Community College. As chief of staff and associate vice chancellor of human resources, Kathy Walter-Mack is responsible for all human resources services at the college. Equally committed to education in her personal life, she supports the Reach Out and Read program.
Reach Out and Read partners with health care professionals in order to put books in the hands of children who come from disadvantaged backgrounds. The nonprofit organization was established in 1989 at Boston Medical Center, and it has since grown to serve children in all 50 states. The organization currently distributes 6.5 million books annually, reaching 20 percent of children who live below the poverty line.
While the nonprofit group primarily focuses on underserved communities, it also runs a special program for military families. The pressures and duties of a military career can make it difficult to focus on literacy at home. Reach Out and Read helps service members acquire books for their children and operates high-quality reading programs on military bases around the world.
