Monfredo: Year 10 Engaging Readers in Worcester - Book Drive a Huge Success

Saturday, May 23, 2015
John Monfredo, GoLocalWorcester MINDSETTER™

The ability to read well is the single best indicator of future economic success – regardless of family background, and it starts by putting books into the hands of our children. Thus, I am happy to report that EVERY CHILD from pre-k to grade six will receive books from our most successful book drive. In addition, every child registering for kindergarten and going to their school’s open house on June 3rd will also receive a book. It is our hope parents will help their child develop good reading habits before they enter the kindergarten if they have not already done so.

Thanks to individuals in the Worcester Community, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt book company, high schools, college groups, community groups and the many businesses in the area we were able to collect more books than ever before. A focus on literacy in this community has caught on for many more groups and the public at large recognize how important reading is, how important it is to give our children the gift of reading and stepped up to support the project. The awareness factor has been a major factor for so many leaders in this community have embraced and supported literacy in our community. We have Worcester Reads with its many community partners espousing the need to read 20 minutes a day,  the mobile libraries in Worcester making their way around the city and look at the “OneCityOneLibrary” program. Now we have additional branch libraries open at various school sites.  Yes, we can say that we are really becoming…Worcester the City That Reads.”

This all volunteer organization was founded by my wife Anne-Marie and me ten years ago in an attempt to promote literacy in our community and encourage the importance of being a life time reader. A true reader is developed, not born. This is the tenth year of collecting new and gently used books for children in grades pre-kindergarten to grade six ( with books also given to grades 7-8) and in ten years we have given out well over 275,000 books to this community.

As  I stated, books will be given out to all of the children in the Worcester Public Schools from pre kindergarten to grade six, to  all the children in the AVID program in grades 7-8,  and as as Head Start, social agencies such as ACE, Rainbow Child Development, Plumbley Village and interfaith groups holding summer reading programs, and to a number of pre-school sites in Worcester.

 Once again we had tremendous support from our private sector on this book drive… Worcester Academy, Venerini Academy, Notre Dame Academy, and Holy Name all did a wonderful job.    Book drives also  took place at all of our public high schools. On the college level WPI led all colleges by collecting over 1400 books.

Various businesses that stepped up were Hanover Insurance, Bay State Bank, United People’s Bank, Commerce Bank, Bank of America, UNUM, UBS Financial Services, TD Bank, Wilson Language Training Center, Boy Scouts of America, Fairlawn Rehabilitation Hospital, Congregation B’Nai Shalom, U. Mass Medical and UMass Memorial, and Harvard Pilgrim.

We had so many successful sites where the public could drop off their books. Leading the way were the YMCA, St. Vincent Hospital, Shaws, Stop and Shop, Jewish Community Center, Annie’s Book Shop, Worcester Public Library, Little Leagues in Worcester, Starbucks,  Austin Liquor, Bagel Inn in Holden, Panera’s, Leader’s Way – Kung Fu Academy and the Worcester Credit Union.  We also had additional assistance this year from the Salvation Army led by Captain Patrick O’Gara and from the AFL-CIO Union. 

The books were stored this year at the Worcester Technical High School garage site.  Senior custodian at the school, John Shea, was a tremendous help to us.  We have spent over 60 hours in sorting out the books to get them ready for distribution.  Lending a helping hand in the sorting were students from  Doherty High School, Worcester Technical High School, North High, South High and from our friends.   In the mix of books there were 100’s of adult books that were donated to the Friends of the Worcester Public Library and to the Worcester Adult Center.   We thank Worcester Public Schools maintenance crew for picking up over 100 cartons of books at our house, at other sites and delivering them to the Worcester Technical High School garage. 

The results of the generosity of many will enable us to spread the joy of reading this summer for more access to books results in more reading.  We all know that students who read more read better; they also write better, spell better and have larger vocabularies.  A report from the National Institute of Education concluded “…the amount of reading done out of school is consistently related to gains in reading achievement.” 

The books will be distributed to the children, pre-k to grade 6, during the week of June 14th as we celebrate “Reading in our city Week,” (A proclamation will be read by Mayor Petty at the June 4th School Committee meeting.) The distribution of the books will be part of the Worcester Public Schools summer “kick-off” during Reading Week.   It is our desire that the schools move the books around in June and in September the schools consider having book swap days and to be creative in how the books will be used in the early fall.

In addition, through the generosity of Steven O’Neil director of the WRTA, signs on city buses will encourage our students to read during the summer months.  

Even though the drive is over we would be very happy to accept other book donations throughout the year for the community has many needs. According to research:

children in low-income areas do not have access to books and many live too far away to visit the public library. It has been estimated that children lose between 2to 3 months of academic growth during the summer time because they are not reading or engaging in meaningful learning activities.

Parents of children living in poverty lack the money to buy books, may not have easy access to good children’s books, and may not themselves have been read to as children, with the results that millions of children are growing up without books.

Reading difficulty contributes to school failure, which increases the risk of absenteeism, school dropouts, and substance abuse – all of which perpetuate the cycles of poverty and dependency.

Now it will up to our parents to set the stage for active reading during the summer months. Parents, you are the key teachers during the summer time!  You must make literacy activities part of your child’s daily summer activities. Remember parents our Worcester slogan is:

“The more I read

The More I’ll know

20 minutes a day

Will help me grow

 

Let’s make reading a high priority this summer!

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