Love Literacy

Esharan, there are not enough words to thank you for your leadership and dedication to all children in our community. ❤️

You have led Love Literacy with extraordinary vision, care, and courage — through a pandemic, a name change, new programs, and countless moments that never make the highlight reel but shape everything.

You have given so much of yourself to this organization and we are deeply grateful.

In Esharan's own words: "Leading Love Literacy has been an incredible honor. I am incredibly grateful to the staff, volunteers, partners, and community members who helped carry this work forward every day. As I transition out of this role, my hope for Love Literacy is that it continues to grow its impact while holding tightly to the values that have guided it and an unwavering commitment to literacy for all children in our community."

Today is Esharan's final day as Executive Director. We are glad to share that she will remain with Love Literacy part-time, continuing to steward the community partnerships she has helped build.

Thank you, Esharan, for six years of extraordinary leadership and ten years of dedication to our mission. This organization is what it is because of you.

✨ 25 Years of Impact
✨ 25 Years of Volunteer Tutoring
✨ 25 Years of Helping Children Grow
✨ 25 Years of Building a Community

25 years ago, 6 tutors walked into South Fork Elementary with a simple, powerful belief: that every child deserves to read. That belief hasn't changed. But everything around it has grown!

We're celebrating 25 years of impact, and this milestone belongs to all of us. ❤️

✨ 5 years. 10 years. 15 years. 20+ years. ✨

This year, we recognized volunteers and staff whose long-term commitment to children and literacy continues to shape our community in powerful ways.

Every year of service represents countless tutoring sessions spent encouraging struggling readers, celebrating growth, and showing children they matter.

Thank you for showing up for students week after week, year after year. ❤

Every family has a song. 🎶

Whether it's dancing in the kitchen, singing in the car, or clapping along to a favorite tune — those simple moments are doing more than you think. Music helps little brains build the connections they need for language, memory, and reading.

On International Family Day, turn up the music and join in. Your child's brain will thank you. ❤️

Grab your coffee and come curious. ☕

We're hosting an informal chat about the early years (0-5) — what it really takes to get children ready for kindergarten and how Love Literacy is part of that work in Forsyth County.

Spots are limited, so sign up today: https://bit.ly/llmaycoffee

🌼🌸 Growing Stronger Together 🌸🌼

That was the theme of our Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon, and honestly, it's the story of Love Literacy. Every tutor who shows up for a child, every year of service, every relationship built in a classroom adds up to something bigger than any of us could do alone.

Thank you to every tutor who has given their time, patience, and heart to children in Forsyth County. We are so grateful. ❤️

An Important Update from Love Literacy:

After much reflection, I have decided to transition from my role as Executive Director of Love Literacy. While I will be stepping away from the Executive Director role, I will support the organization through the transition and continue to lead the organization in a limited capacity until an interim Executive Director is selected. In addition, I will continue to lead key strategic initiatives, including Forsyth County for Grade-Level Reading and The Basics Forsyth, in a part-time capacity.

My journey with Love Literacy began in 2016 as a volunteer tutor. Since then, it has been a privilege to grow alongside this organization and to help shape its evolution. What has grounded me throughout this work is a deep sense of responsibility to the children in our community, especially those who have been most marginalized, and a belief that a child’s ability to thrive is central to our community’s ability to thrive.

Over the past five and a half years, our team has accomplished a great deal. We navigated COVID and emerged with clarity and a strong plan for our work. We embedded trauma resilience into our work with our students and each other, expanded our programs to serve our youngest learners and their caregivers, and supported Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools during pivotal moments. In addition, we adopted a more accessible, evidence-based curriculum and launched a high-impact tutoring program that engages and compensates teachers. And, through our commitment to collaboration, we have become a trusted partner and convenor in the community.

So many people played an important role in our success. I want to express my gratitude to our volunteer tutors, advisory board members, donors, supporters, community partners, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, and the Love Literacy team for your contributions to our success. I also want to thank my family, whose support and sacrifice made my leadership possible.

I am grateful for the opportunity to have served in this role and look forward to Love Literacy’s continued impact in the years to come.

With Gratitude,
Esharan Monroe-Johnson

Singing isn’t just fun, it’s powerful! 🎶

Songs help children learn routines, build language, and create meaningful back-and-forth moments. Every babble and gesture builds brain connections. Those everyday interactions add up in big ways. 🌱