Outstanding Service Award — Dorothy Martin, Travel Specialist

Outstanding Service Award — Dorothy Martin, Travel Specialist

Travel Agent Honored for Commitment to Expanding Social Impact of Judith’s Reading Room

July 3, 2024 — In pursuit of its mission, “to enrich lives and societies by proactively encouraging freedom through literacy,” Judith’s Reading Room, a literacy nonprofit based in eastern Pennsylvania, honored Dorothy Martin, Travel Specialist with Grand European Travel (GET) for her compassion to improve the lives of at-risk youth in Edinburgh, Scotland.  Martin received the organization’s Outstanding Service Award and will be acknowledged during the dedication of Judith’s Reading Room’s 107th library in Edinburgh on August 10.

At a meeting in September 2023 in Tigard, a suburb of Portland, Oregon, Judith’s Reading Room introduced its capability to offer curated libraries with books in English to local schools and established its hope that through the good offices of GET, the organization’s mission would be communicated to travelers and travel agents alike.

Judith’s Reading Room will dedicate its library at Heavy Sound, a nonprofit organization in Edinburgh that serves care-experienced youth.  The curated collection of 124 graphic novels valued at $2,456 was achieved through the collaboration of The Scottish Book Trust.

“An innovative way to step up the expansion of our organization’s presence around the world is to link up with travel organizations that are committed to making a positive social impact in the communities they visit.  GET is exactly that kind of organization, evidenced by its compassionate travel specialist Dorothy Martin, its TreadRight Foundation and ‘Be My Guest’ initiatives,” said Cathy Leiber, President, Judith’s Reading Room.

Travel organizations like GET understand that American travelers are looking for deeper connections and experiences such as when travelers read to children in local schools.  This is where Judith’s Reading Room comes in, as the organization is set up to provide the perfect books in English for the school, orphanage, day care or community center.

Including Edinburgh, Scotland, Judith’s Reading Room will have dedicated 107 libraries in 24 countries with 133,000 books donated worth more than $1.4 million.  The organization’s 2024 goal is to expand library donations across Europe.  Currently, Judith’s Reading Room has created 5 libraries in Romania, two in Albania, and one in The Kyrgyz Republic.  Following Scotland, the organization will dedicate its tenth library in Europe and its 108th library in Prague, Czech Republic in November.

For more information, visit www.judithsreadingroom.org.

 

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