Volunteer Spotlight: Jane and Toby McAfee
Residents of Yonkers
for 27 years, Jane and Toby McAfee are committed
to making the city a great place to live and work. And above all, they
believe in the importance of education to the future of Yonkers
children. Since being introduced to Yonkers Partners in Education, they
have generously donated their time and their money to support YPIE
family literacy programs.
When Jane, a realtor with Prudential Rand Realty, learned that 73% of Yonkers students lived at or below the national poverty level, she was just shocked. It was clear to her that the school system couldn’t address all the children’s needs by itself, especially with the recent budget cuts putting the schools at an even greater disadvantage relative to other Westchester districts. She knew that organizations like YPIE, which provide private funding to supplement the school budget, were essential to filling the gap for Yonkers kids.
Jane first considered getting her company to become a sponsor, but then she and her husband decided to get involved personally. Feeling that reading was a student’s most essential need, Jane and Toby made a considerable financial donation to sponsor the YonkersReads! book program. This innovative program provides books to every K-3 classroom, in all 29 public elementary schools, so that kids can take home a bag of books each week to read at home with a parent or caregiver.
"Even if I could help just one child to learn to read, I knew that this would make a difference—it would change his or her life," Jane said. And she knows that the benefits are not just long term, they are also immediate: kids get tremendous pleasure from reading, their confidence grows, and so does their motivation to succeed. In addition to funding the initial program, Jane has spent countless hours in the YPIE storeroom organizing and packing donated books to deliver to the schools. "How often do you get to do real hands-on work with a charity?" she asked. Working with YPIE, it can happen every month, and this type of volunteer work provides a tangible connection between the book donation program and the kids who will now read at home.
Jane’s work with YPIE doesn’t stop here. As a realtor, she has the ability to reach many people in the community. She wants to be a "cheerleader" for Yonkers and for YPIE in particular. She promotes YonkersReads! in her "Good News in Yonkers" newsletter, in her interactions with real estate clients and peers, and, of course, at home with her husband Toby.
Toby, a professional photographer, has also been involved with the public schools through his work with the Yonkers Board of Education. Photographing students at all of the schools, he too was struck by the lack of funding in the district and the lack of books in children’s homes. He said he "can’t imagine not having the opportunity to learn to read and enjoy reading." So when Jane discussed getting involved with YPIE, Toby jumped right in.
He has donated his time to be the photographer at the YPIE annual gala, taken pictures for new YPIE marketing materials and also helped pack boxes of books! Thanks to the support of volunteers like Jane and Toby, the YonkersReads! program has already collected over 9,000 books, well on its way to YPIE’s goal of donating 100,000 books to Yonkers students.
