Connecting military service members to their local school districts to help improve literacy and promote a love for reading.

Our mission is to bridge the gap between military service members and education. Our dedicated volunteers will come to the classroom and read with students in need. For each classroom served, a set of grade-level books will be donated for each student to take home and enjoy. United We Read strives to give every student an equal opportunity to improve their literacy, have fun, and succeed.

United We Read has two different reading programs. We offer one-on-one reading sessions, where the service member comes to the classroom and reads with students who are most in need. We also offer a whole class read aloud session where the service member comes to the classroom dressed in uniform and reads a grade-level book to your students.

For each classroom we serve, United We Read promises to donate a class set of books for students to take home. We hope to make a significant impact by donating books to classrooms, aiming to enhance educational opportunities for children.

Studies consistently show that access to books at a young age improves literacy skills, enhances cognitive development, and fosters a lifelong love of reading. By providing diverse reading materials to classrooms, United We Read not only supports academic growth but also promotes creativity, empathy, and critical thinking among children. Through our efforts, we hope to empower educators and enrich the lives of countless young learners, ensuring a brighter future for generations to come.

Your donation matters! Whether you are comfortable contributing monetarily to help us grow, donating books, or a service member ready to volunteer, we need you on our team. Our goal is to donate 1,000 books by volunteering in 50 different classrooms during the 2024-2025 school year. Eventually, we would like to donate books to more than just the classrooms we serve and your donation will help us reach that goal. Please contact us at unitedwereadinc@gmail.com or fill out our volunteer form for more information.

Meet the Team

  • Sara Hamblin

    Chief Executive Director

    Sara is a former elementary school teacher who taught in the public school system for 7 years. She is currently raising two boys in San Diego and is married to a Master Chief in the Navy. Sara is very passionate about the education of our future generation, and wants to do her part in helping them succeed.

    Sara has her Master of Education and Multiple Subject Teaching Credential from the University of California, Irvine and her Bachelor Degree In Organizational Management and Communication From Point Loma Nazarene University.

  • Brooke Lunquist

    Chief Financial Officer

    Brooke is a driven and dedicated working professional. She is passionate about improving the well-being of diverse populations through equitable, accessible, and culturally sensitive practices.

    Brooke has worked in community management for 5 years and is currently a Public Health Consultant. She also has many years experience working for various non-profits and brings a lot of insight to our team.

    Brooke has her Bachelor Degree in Kinesiology and Master’s Degree in Public Health from California State University, Northridge.

  • Julie Starros

    Associate Director

    As a business owner of 40 years, Julie brings her years of knowledge and expertise to our non-profit. She has raised three children of her own and has two grandchildren as well. She is extremely passionate about helping the future generation thrive. She understands how important early literacy is for students to be successful in the future and brings her passion for success to our team.

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