By Sara Busse
Two programs of the Jackson County Read Aloud chapter received a financial boost thanks to a $2,500 grant from the Jackson County Community Foundation. Snuggle and Read and Snak Pak will each benefit from the grant.
Snuggle and Read encourages families to read together, providing books and blankets so participants can experience the pleasure that a warm blanket and a great read can bring when shared with a child. Several of these well-received events have been held at elementary schools and county libraries in Jackson County and throughout the state. The grant money will be used to purchase books for Snuggle and Read. Blankets are provided by Constellium Corporation.
The Snak Pak program, according to Jackson County Read Aloud co-chair Lisa Bailey, is run by Parchment Valley Baptist Church, providing weekly snack packs to approximately 190 children who may need a little extra food during the weekends. Read Aloud is now adding the excitement of books.
“Mid-year last year, Read Aloud Jackson County started providing books with the snack packs on a once-a-month basis to the children so that they would also have their very own books to read,” Bailey said. “While we may have shelves of books at our own home, some homes have very few books or no books at all. We have been receiving positive feedback from the schools about how excited the kids are to pick out their monthly book. They can hardly wait!”
Read Aloud West Virginia helped complete the grant application and is purchasing the books for the programs.
Lea Ann Tuohy, of the book and movie The Blind Side fame, spoke on “Making a Difference in the Life of a Child” at the Jackson County Community Foundation dinner in October when the awards were granted, according to Jackson co-chair Janet McCauley.
“The inspiring story of Michael Orr, a homeless child who was taken in and nurtured by the Tuohys and who became an NFL standout, emphasized the importance of stepping out of your comfort zone to help others,” McCauley explained. Tuohy said she appreciated the connection with the work done by Read Aloud Jackson County.
McCauley said, “By providing both the Snuggle and Read project and the Snak Pak program with books, Jackson County Read Aloud is hoping to make a difference in the lives of many children. We were very pleased to be a recipient and that the monies have helped to meet our desire to get books in the hands of children.”
To get involved in the Jackson County Read Aloud chapter, contact McCauley at jkmccauley@suddenlink.net or Bailey at lisa.bailey@suddenlink.net.
Sara Busse is a long-time Charleston resident and community volunteer.