- April 13, 2026
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As Reading Buddies Director Beverly Sutton illustrated during the April 12 service, Christ Church of Longboat Key's after-school reading program was about far more than putting books in children's hands. Volunteers sat with students day in and day out, lending a supportive ear while the youngsters honed their reading skills. Leaders also helped coordinate interactive activities and visits from guest speakers.
Sutton held up a copy of the book before the congregation and said, "Because of you, when we read 'Playing at the Border: A Story of Yo-Yo Ma,' the lead cellist from the North Port Symphony Orchestra came and played for the children. They were enthralled."
During the special service, she and other volunteers took the time to thank teachers, families and everyone else who contributed to the Reading Buddies program, which is coming to an end.
Reading Buddies teachers Erma Roberts, Joe Grissett, Shirley Jenkins and Henry Miller attended as special guests.
The program launched in 2008, when Christ Church started sponsoring the after-school reading remediation and enrichment program for students in kindergarten through grade three in Bradenton.
Volunteers from the church worked one-on-one with students at the 13 Avenue Dream Center every other Thursday, supporting teachers to improve students' reading comprehension, vocabulary and other literary skills.
At the end of February, Christ Church announced it had come to the "painful but resolute decision" to terminate the Reading Buddies program.
The leadership team said the determining factor was lower-than-required recruitment.
The announcement detailed, "Since last May, we have been dealing with issues which have remained unresolved. Although there are many mitigating factors which forced our decision, the chief factor relates to the $50,000 annual grant from the Charles T. Bauer Foundation. The conditions of the $50,000 grant are not being met."
The grant was intended to cover the salaries of three certified teachers and one teaching assistant, reaching 45 children. However, the church said in the announcement the program was only serving 31 children.
Program leaders said, as stewards of the grant funding, they couldn't in good conscience continue the program despite their efforts over the previous eight months to reach a resolution.
At the April 12 service and following reception, congregation members shared their sadness in seeing the program come to an end. Sutton said somewhere around 80 church volunteers have contributed their energies over the years. But members also shared their appreciation for the joy the program brought to both participants and volunteers.
They had enjoyed holidays together with students, particularly at the Christmas party. They passed reading milestones together. They dreamed together.
Sutton told congregants: "Over our 22-year partnership with the 13th Avenue Dream Center, you have worked to instill a love of reading in hundreds upon hundreds of children."
Referencing a Victor Hugo quote on the spark-inspiring power of reading, Sutton continued, "Adding together all the sparks of all the hundreds of children who have learned to read in your loving tutelage, please know you have lit a bonfire in Bradenton."
Rev. Julia Piermont said the church wanted to take the time for a proper farewell reception because, "We wanted to honor the people who have put the most devotion into it."
She said the way the program allowed volunteers to stick with a particular student throughout the school term is part of what helped make it so special and effective.
"I think people really valued the opportunity to work one-on-one with someone," she said. "The best kind of mission is mutual. Both parties are changed."
Looking forward, Piermont said the church will take some time to regroup and assess its program assets while winding down the Reading Buddies program. But the church hopes to redirect the books and volunteer base productively.
