Dog Days of Summer? Why is there a post about dogs in this newsletter? The Dog Days of Summer traditionally refers to the period of hot and humid weather occurring between July 3 and August 11. It coincides with the rising of Sirius, the Dog Star; the brightest star in the sky.
In ancient Greece, it was believed the dawn rising of Sirius contributed to the extreme weather of the season bringing bad luck and unrest, when dogs and men would be driven mad by the extreme heat. For many Canadians, it is a time to celebrate outdoor life.
Hiking, swimming, biking, a variety of field sports, gardening, attending an outdoor festival or concert, and reading a book while collecting vitamin D, are just some of the other interests PALS volunteers enjoy during the Dog Days of Summer. No matter our hobbies and interests, the outdoors calls to us and we spend more time connecting with our fellow citizens and Mother Nature.
When you are out and about enjoying these outdoor pursuits in our community, consider sharing your passion for your volunteer tutoring by building community awareness of the PALS mission and encouraging those you know to volunteer or donate to the organization. Like the Faberge Shampoo commercial or for the younger generation, Wayne’s World promotion, you tell two friends, and they tell two friends, and so on, and so on, and so on. Spreading the word on how low literacy impacts individuals, communities and society, brings us all a step closer to realizing our vision of a community where adults are functionally literate so they can realize their full potential. Let us all advocate for literacy while enjoying these Dog Days of Summer. You may even bring your dog. 😊
Seven new volunteers completed onboarding with me in June. Please welcome Tannis, Genelle, Johnson, Anjum, Sarah, Angela, and Scott. It has been a pleasure getting to know each of you and I look forward to working alongside you.
