Reading Friends Australia (RFA) was established in 2019, when founder Luciana De Michiel saw how much children struggled with reading when she volunteered at a primary school.

"I started to think about what we can do that's practical and effective that would suit any school..." she said.

With a background in education, she also saw the difficulty schools had with recruiting, retaining and managing volunteers.

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As a solution, the charity finds people who are willing to help out, and trains them before they head to school.

"We looked at a way of making it as broad as possible, mainly aim to promote reading [and] focus on primary school-aged children," Mrs De Michiel said.

More than a dozen friendly faces have visited Moss Vale Public School since Term 2 this year, after delays with the pandemic.

They will start going to Wingello Public School in August.

As part of the charity's vision, blue boxes full of free books are dotted around the region for children and their families to take.

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Mrs De Michiel understands families might not be able to afford books or access a library, or adults may not be reading at home.

"As soon as they manage to read a word, a light comes on and they're proud," the founder said.

The boxes can be found at the Bridges for Learning centres in Bowral and Tahmoor, Hopscotch Partners, Moss Vale Gymnastics, Mount Gibraltar Preschool, PowerPoint Music, Neenys Playhouse, PowerPoint Music and the Wingello Village Store.

Nearly 1000 books have been distributed across the region.

Mrs De Michiel was hopeful the charity would "push the community forward", and give children independence and skills they could use outside of school.

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Once people express their interest to volunteer, they undergo training before stepping onto school grounds.

They will secure a Working With Children Check, receive a volunteering badge and learn about logistics such as health and safety protocols, what to do in an emergency, and timetables.

Volunteers will also learn about how to read and engage with students, and an RFA volunteer will go with them on their first day at school.

You can apply to be a volunteer on the Reading Friends Australia website, or by emailing info@readingfriends.org.au.

If you would like to meet some of the volunteers and learn more about the charity, you can attend the opening dinner on August 11 at the Southern Highlands Winery.

Tickets are $80 each with a portion of sales dedicated to literacy programs.

Learn more about the charity on readingfriends.org.au.

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