Eight years ago, two friends volunteering at an afterschool program at a Dallas elementary school decided to start a Book Club. The students had a choice. They could hang out in the cafeteria or play on the playground, or . . . a growing number chose Book Club.

Eight years and one pandemic later, the original After-School Book Club is as strong and well-attended as ever. But the need is even greater now. The pandemic took its toll on many students, not just those in this elementary school.

Now that we’re an official non-profit, the goal is to spread Clubs to other elementary schools in Dallas, particularly in disadvantaged neighborhoods. All donations are tax-deductible, and 100 percent goes to books and supplies.

Wherever you live, if you think an elementary school near you could benefit from a Book Club, please email us at dexterbegoodbooks@gmail.com , and we’ll be happy to share how we started.

THE FOUNDERS

Founders Pam McWilliams and Laura Coomes

Laura Coomes, director, is a small business owner who started volunteering at a Dallas elementary school over twenty years ago. When the non-profit running the program folded during the pandemic, she and Pam stayed at the school and continued the Book Club. Late in 2023, they launched The After-School Book Club as a non-profit.

Pam McWilliams, director, previously worked in Corporate Communications and on Wall Street in Institutional Sales. An avid reader and writer. she blogs on the arts and her fiction has appeared in several short story anthologies.