The member of Casa de Venezuela is recognized for her efforts on literacy in Chester County, Pennsylvania.

In many Chester County families, teaching toddlers to sing the "A-B-Cs" and helping them spell out names with magnetic alphabet letters or wooden blocks are cherished pastimes. In some families in our community, however, such activities don't routinely happen-because a language barrier or lack of education prevents parents from preparing a child for school. Nelly Arévalo-Jiménez is dedicated to changing that situation.

Nelly is the director - and the soul - of the Kennett Square Family Center, which opened its doors in 2006. A program of the Maternal and Child Health Consortium, the center provides parenting education and schoolreadiness programs for low-income families, including many recent immigrants from Mexico.

Each year, Nelly and her team of staff and volunteers deliver services to more than 100 families with preschool children. They address early-literacy tasks designed to prepare children for success in kindergarten and later grades - writing the alphabet and numbers, sitting at a desk, and following a teacher's instructions. They help parents complete a Kennett Consolidated School District kindergarten registration form.

On any given day, Nelly carries out a myriad of educational activities. On home visits, she delivers crayons and paper. She coaches parents to read to their children. At the Family Center, she conducts developmental screenings and designs program curriculum. And in summer she also runs the Kindergarten Transition program, which she started in 2008.

Some evenings, Nelly leads a special program she introduced to help children, parents, and other community members share the love of reading. At each "Night of Dreams," adults and pajama-clad youngsters gather under a star-decorated ceiling for story time and puppet shows. Every child leaves the event with a book donated by a community member.

Nelly Arévalo-Jiménez is committed to ensuring that when children enter school, they are prepared to succeed.

Read more about Literacy Heroes Breakfast winners