Mag maven - Brief Article

Girls' Life, Oct, 2000 by Kerstin Czarra

Ashley Peterson, 17, subscribes to a philanthropic philosophy.

Instead of lulling at the galleria or taking in Lakers games, Ashley Peterson spends her free time spreading compassion for the homeless.

It started when she volunteered at her church's soup kitchen years ago. After the people were fed, she noticed many were hungry for something else: "I kept seeing them find magazines, and they were really excited to read them. I figured I could help. After all, my friends and I had lots of magazines between us."

And so began ReREAD--a nonprofit organization that collects and distributes thousands of magazines to homeless shelters across the country. "Our mission is to bring dignity back to the homeless," explains Ashley. "By giving them tools like magazines, we make them feel like part of society again. There's a lot of down time at shelters. When this happens, people feel locked out, alienated. The magazines can help a woman or man become a better parent by reading about child care. Or they may spark a profession idea. Some use the magazines to stimulate their creativity with pictures and make collages."

THE POWER OF THE PAGE

Why the glossies? What's wrong with good old hardbacks? Ashley is quick to respond, "Books are expensive and heavy. A book also takes a time commitment. A magazine is easily picked up, can be thumbed through and gives the reader current information."

Ashley's organization collects and distributes over 5,000 periodicals monthly and, in doing so, has won the praise of homeless advocacy programs like Children of the Night, Charlotte's House, Beacon House and Domestic Violence Shelter.

It wasn't an easy journey, though. "Raising money was a problem. ReREAD was new, and no one had heard of it. It was challenging to make people aware." But Ashley put her letter writing skills to the test, and $30,000 rolled in from private donations.

A LITTLE HELP FROM HER FRIENDS

Ashley is quick to point out that she is not alone in her venture. "My friend from USC law school helped me sort through the legal red tape of setting up a non-profit," she says. "We have a board of directors. I also have about 10 people who help run ReREAD."

Ashley hopes to set up a chapter of ReREAD in every major city. "Currently, we collect magazines here in L.A. and send them out all over the country. But I'd like to go national," she says. "I would also like to create a newsletter for people in shelters--tips for applying for jobs, how to save money, things like that."

ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER

"People were skeptical at first, but I proved them wrong. Teens in general want to validate themselves and prove themselves. To do this, you need to convert talk into action. When people see action, they can't argue that you can't make a difference," she explains.

Her advice to other philanthropists? "Planning. You can't understand what you are doing until you really see the plan. Also, tenacity. Real passion."

Working 10 to 12 hours a week on ReREAD, going to school and working on the school paper fill up Ashley's schedule, but she makes sure to get in some hang time with buds. "I used to work like 30 hours when I first started. It's taken its toll. I've sacrificed sleep, school, work, friends," she says. "But now, I've cut back through the help of others, and I enjoy spending time with my family, going to the movies with my friends and just reading magazines."

So what are Ashley's favorite mags? "I really like Vanity Fair, People and Talk," she says. No Girls' Life? "We'd love for you to contribute your magazine for the shelters," says Ashley. No prob. We'd be proud to have our name associated with someone as dedicated as Ashley.