WBZ Cares: Generations Incorporated Looks To Expand Beyond Metro-Boston

BOSTON (CBS) - Each month, WBZ Cares highlights a worthy non-profit organization, and tells the story of what that organization does for the community.

This month's organization, Generations Incorporated, helps improve the literacy skills of kids from Kindergarten through 3rd grade by matching them up with older adult volunteers.

It currently provides literacy volunteers in several Boston and Revere elementary schools, and executive director Mary Gunn says they're hoping to expand their services into other Massachusetts communities.

"Cities where there is a large need and a large enough population of seniors to meet that need. Seniors are the fastest growing segment of the population. 10,000 people my age retire every single day," Gunn said. "

"There is a lot of people who want to do something meaningful in their community."

Veteran volunteer Bill Woolf, who's also a "Generations Incorporated" board member says what they do, has real meaning.

"Sixty-five percent of the kids are not reading at grade level in the city of Boston. I live in this neighborhood and I want the kids who grow up to be a functioning adult in this neighborhood to be literate, they're better citizens, they'll get more accomplished, their families will be better, and I will be better off in the long run as a result," he said.

Director of Volunteer Management Kathryn Brown says, along with improvements in kids' reading scores, a sure sign of their success is the continued commitment of their volunteers.

"We love the fact that our program retains so many volunteers. Our goal is to have about eighty percent of our volunteers to return year after year," she said.

Danielle Morrissey, Principal of the Blackstone Innovation School in Boston, appreciates the work "Generations Incorporated" volunteers do for the kids in her school.

"They form really strong relationships with our students. It's nice to see to see the love, as well as they are, helping to improve and push their academic literacy scores," she said.

For more information about Generations Incorporated, visit www.generationsinc.org or the WBZ Cares section on the CBSBoston.com website during the month of February.