This story originally appeared in the 2025 SOAR365 Annual Report. Click here to view a digital version of the report.
How one volunteer’s love of reading is bringing confidence, joy, and connection to SOAR365 participants.
“I’m a long-distance runner,” says John McCarroll. “I’d spend two and a half hours every morning running in Pocahontas State Park. I would come home, and I would read for four or five hours. And at night after dinner, just to prove how old I am, I’d work on my stamp collection.”
“My wife pointed out, ‘John, everything you’re doing is solitary. You’re missing something.’”
That insight led John to seek a deeper sense of connection. For years, he had volunteered in settings where people relied on him—helping immigrants learn English and prepare for the U.S. Citizenship Test through Literacy for America. But SOAR365, he says, is something entirely different.
At Staples Mill, John reads to Adult Day Support participants—and discovers that he is the one who needs them. “I travel to Staples Mill for the same reason I go to church,” he explains. “I need the grounding, the foundation. At church I find solemnity. At SOAR365 I find the absolute joy I crave.”
“It’s wonderful,” says John. “They like each other, they have a good time. They enjoy it. I just love them. They’re so much fun. We’re not teacher and students—we’re friends gathered for fun.”
Each morning, he reads horoscopes, Hints from Heloise, grocery prices, funny news stories, and books ranging from Alice in Wonderland to The Wizard of Oz. A young adult version of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde was a surprise hit. “They hung on every word,” John says.
When he returned from vacation, John brought back books from a Little Free Library so the group could choose their next read together. Thanks to his enthusiasm, even the shyest participants are joining in. “Brandon would sit in the back and never talk,” says John. “One day I said, ‘Brandon, get up here and sit with us,’ and he just opened up!”
Reading time has helped participants build confidence, social skills, and a sense of belonging. And for John, it’s the highlight of every day. “There’s no better thing in life than seeing them laugh and smile,” he says. “I don’t come to give back. I come because I need the joy, the honesty, the love. It opens up new avenues in your life. It makes you realize what’s important.”
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