Emily Spector was just 12 years old when she created the Read to Succeed Foundation. Now, as a rising junior at New Albany High School, Spector has grown her foundation from her basement to have an international impact.
“My dad fully expected to have his basement back after a year,” says Spector. “But when we realized the foundation was only growing stronger, he purchased industrial shelves to support the surplus (of books) and my passion to make a difference.”
The difference that Spector makes is profound. Her Read to Succeed Foundation provides books to food pantries, creating miniature libraries from which children can choose books.
“I have chosen to focus on food pantries because I believe families should not only receive support with nutrition, but also brain food for their minds through receiving books of their own,” Spector says.
Spector has partnered with Half Price Books, which donates multiple times a year, as well as student leaders, local businesses, religious organizations and teachers to help fill her collection. She then organizes, labels and prepares the books for donation from her distribution center in the Spector family basement.
Over the past four and a half years, the Read to Succeed Foundation has served more than 40 organizations and donated more than 36,000 books.
“Although my efforts are focused on central Ohio, the impact of Read to Succeed Foundation has reached as far as Israel and is currently working to help the devastatingly poor children of Liberia,” she says.
Locally, Read to Succeed serves New Albany’s Village Coalition Against Hunger.
“Read to Succeed has had a great partnership with this incredible organization for the past three years helping with summer reading, books for the holidays and supplying books year-round,” she says. “It has been very rewarding to help so close to home.”
What makes Spector extraordinary is that the Read to Succeed Foundation is merely one of many organizations to which she devotes her time. This summer Spector will join the Wexner Service Corp, a year-long service program for high school students, through which she will travel to Houston to help continue the rebuilding effort after last year’s hurricanes.
When Spector is not in Houston this summer, she can be found at the New Albany branch library serving as a reading buddy and helping young children learn to read and love books, something she has done for many summers.
She is also on the Love Without Hurt teen advisory board, which helps to prevent teen dating abuse and empower teens to have healthy relationships, and she’s a member of both the Key Club and the National Honor Society. However, there’s really only one activity in her life that can compare to Read to Succeed.
“One of my greatest passions, besides my Read to Succeed Foundation, is my involvement with the New Albany Ballet Company,” she says. Spector is part of NABC’s pre-professional ballet program. “It has been a wonderful place to receive rigorous ballet training and be a part of amazing performance opportunities.”
Though she still has two years left at New Albany High School, Spector is planning for Read to Succeed’s future after high school graduation.
“Prior to graduation from high school, I plan to train local young leaders to carry out the foundation’s responsibilities during the school year while I continue to make deliveries when home from college, or possibly even take over the efforts,” she says.
While central Ohio and beyond benefit from Read to Succeed, Spector knows she can always count on New Albany to support her and the foundation.
“Every time I am able to reach a new organization or revisit a food pantry or organization that I am bringing a new supply of books, I feel tremendously lucky and empowered to know that through the incredible support of my generous community, together we are making a difference,” she says.
To donate, volunteer, or learn more about Emily Spector’s Read to Succeed Foundation, visit www.readtosucceedfoundation.org.
Bob Valasek is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
