Submitted
One young student came up to the table displaying a group of books chosen by Karen Jones, the elementary school Media Specialist and said, “I don’t have any money to pay for a book.” Cicero Kiwanis Club President Todd Clevenger replied, “You don’t need any money. These books are free, so chose any one you want.”
She looked up with a smile on her face and said, “Really? I’ve never had a book of my very own.”
Every child deserves the joy of diving into a world of imagination through books. Yet, many young minds lack access to this magical journey due to financial constraints. Research shows that just the presence of books in the home improves educational outcomes. Books are critical and access to those resources is one of the greatest contributors to education equality. Despite all this, books are scarce to many students, meaning they are at a disadvantage from the start.
The Kiwanis Club of Cicero wants to close that gap and promote a love a reading by providing free books through its Books For a Bright Future initiative.
“Through this program, students are able to choose a free, age-appropriate book at the school book fair,” Clevenger said. “The goal of our Books For a Bright Future program is to create a love of reading and foster education and literacy among young students.”
With help from a grant awarded by the Kiwanis Children’s Fund, the Cicero Kiwanis purchased over 800 books that were distributed during the week-long book fair.
“The Book Fair was a huge success!” Jones said. “Thank you to the Kiwanis for all the volunteer help and guest readers. The kids just loved their new books and those who would not have gotten books were so surprised that they too could get a book at the book fair! You made the book fair a special occasion for all our students. We gave out 809 books. We can’t thank the Kiwanis enough.”
The primary goal of the Cicero Kiwanis Books For a Bright Future program is to raise funds to purchase and distribute age-appropriate books to every elementary school within the Hamilton Heights School District. The club aims to ensure that every child has the opportunity to build their own personal library at home, encouraging them to read, explore and expand their knowledge.
“I was truly amazed at the excitement, joy and smiles we saw simply by providing these students with a book of their own,” Clevenger said. “But it went further than that. Teachers and administrators have reached out expressing their gratitude and appreciation for what the Cicero Kiwanis Club is doing. Here is just one example:
“‘Good afternoon! I am a kindergarten teacher at Hamilton Heights. I wanted to say THANK YOU for the books Kiwanis provided to my students at the spring book fair. Usually there are tears as some students don’t get books and this year that didn’t happen. My students were so excited to show me the books they picked and got to keep forever. I appreciate all you have done!’”
In addition to the annual book fair, Cicero Kiwanis is also working to help stock the summer bookmobile that travels throughout the district during the summer months to keep kids engaged in reading throughout summer break. The annual fundraising goal for this program is $10,000 and the Cicero Kiwanis welcome both individual donations and corporate sponsorships.
To contribute to the Books For a Bright Future program, please visit CiceroKiwanis.org and make a secure online donation.