Volunteer Coordinator's report.
By Susanne Magyar-Chapiel, LPM Volunteer Coordinator.

Name your Mascot!

If you’ve ever been at a community event where a well-known mascot like Ronald McDonald or the A&W Root Bear appeared, you know how much children and adults like to meet them, and how much excitement they can create!

Well, we’ve been thinking about getting a mascot of our own – a friendly character that would bring LPM greater exposure at large community events like festivals, picnics and parades, and one that would also help us celebrate our own special events like International Literacy Day (September 8th), National Family Literacy Day (January 27th), Canada Book Day (April 23rd) and so on.

We’ve come up with several good possibilities, but now it’s time to narrow it down to one. Which one do you prefer from the list below? The deadline for replies is July 30, 2000. Please send in your vote to me, smagyar@mb.sympatico.ca or fax to 956-9315 or call 204-334-8700 and leave me a message. Your choices:

1. The Literacy Lion
   He’s furry, he’s friendly, he’s purrrrrfectly happy so long as he’s got some good books to read and some pencils and paper to write with. He’s getting pretty good at writing letters too...it’s not easy with those great big paws. He can help people read between the lions!
   
   
2. Miss Lillian Literacy
   (ie: Miss Frizzle, the Magic School Bus teacher). She knows all about reading, writing and math, and she can help you learn too! How can you spot her? She’s the one with the “ABC-print” dress, colorful wig and glasses, and the oversized book bag brimming with LPM pencils, pens, bookmarks, etc. Oh– she also has storybooks – lots of them, and ideas for books to read, whatever your age or reading level!
   
   
3. The LPM Spelling Bee
   He’s a buzzzz with excitement. Why? Because he’s just learning to read...and wow...all the new words he is learning! He had no idea that learning could be so much fun. How old is he? It doesn’t matter! You can learn to read at any age, and you should never stop learning. Get busy and improve your reading, writing and math skills, like our spelling bee!! After all, life long learning is the key to success!
   
   
4. The Wizard of Literacy
   See him coming from miles away! His long flowing robe, long white hair, and (headpiece). He knows everything because he reads everything! Cereal boxes, newspapers, magazines, bulletin boards, storybooks, trivia games! Try to stump him with a word from the dictionary. Bet he can spell it and give you the definition! If he can’t, you win a prize! (A pencil, a bookmark, magnet, etc.)
   
   
5. Captain Literacy
   Fighting for the right to literacy for all! Literacy is Power, Literacy is the key to success – fight on, Captain Literacy! It’s cool to be you!

Sample Kit Arrives

Looking for a few gift ideas to give to your volunteers? The new LPM Volunteer Recognition Sample Kit is full of great ideas, all at reasonable cost.

The kits contains six items, all with the “Volunteers Shine” theme, which have been available through Brian Shippam Inc. since the start of the year.

They make great “welcome to our program” gifts for new volunteers, and can also be tucked away to present to volunteers later in the fall or at Christmas.

If you’re in Winnipeg, ask to see the kit the next time you visit the office. (But please call ahead to make sure it’s in.) If you live outside the city and want to look through the kit before placing an order, call us and we’ll arrange to have the kit sent to you! You can also have a good look at the items by visiting the LPM website.

In November, we will be unveiling several other items featuring the new LPM logo (and our new mascot!) Some of the new items we are considering are sweatshirts, canvas valises, address books, day timers and posters. As well as making great gifts for your volunteers, we hope that LPM members and our many community partners and sponsors will consider buying them for themselves, their families and friends.