Friends of Waltham Family School honors three local champions of family literacy

The Friends of the Waltham Family School has honored three community members for their dedication to family literacy, naming Cindy Lasker and Katie Patterson as its 2026 Volunteers of the Year and longtime supporter Bob Marcou as its 2025 Friend of the Year.

Lasker has been a key member of the Waltham Family School community for seven years, while Patterson has volunteered there for four years after first learning about the program from her husband, a teacher at Whittemore Elementary School. Together, they spend Wednesdays leading library activities for parents and children, designing programming that emphasizes literacy and connection. They also have worked to expand the school library’s collection with books that reflect the experiences and cultures of the families it serves.

Marcou, who grew up in Waltham, was recognized as the 2025 Friend of the Year for his decades-long commitment to local nonprofits and his steady support of the Friends of the Waltham Family School. He has served for years on the Friends’ advisory board, offering strategic advice, financial contributions and consistent engagement with the organization. 

“Bob attends almost every Coffee and Conversation, Advisory Council meeting and Fiesta,” said Elaine Wong, vice president of the Friends. “He consistently provides both financial and emotional support to our families and to the FWFS.”

The Volunteer of the Year and Friend of the Year awards are given annually by the Friends to individuals or organizations whose selfless efforts help advance the Waltham Family School’s mission. All three honorees received their awards at the Friends’ Fiesta for the Waltham Family School, held Thursday, April 30, at Tempo, a restaurant on Moody Street. 

The Waltham Family School provides a family-centered program that offers English classes for adults and preschool education for their young children, helping immigrant families build skills for school, work and community life.