BOOKS FOR COLLIER KIDS APRIL 2, 2018/ BROWNIE MEETING

Brownie Troop 255 at Veterans Memorial Elementary School, under the leadership of Rachel Buonocore (Mrs. B), is working on their Philanthropist Badge. Every year, the troop works on a Service Project together. The Brownies and Daisies are making a joint effort to collect and distribute books to children in Collier County who are less fortunate than themselves. The aim of a Service Project is to make the world a better place by sharing and learning to help others.

To better understand the idea of philanthropy, Mrs. B invited Sallie Williams and Nora Kolmer to attend their meeting on April 2. Mrs. Williams is the Chair of the Board of Directors for Books for Collier Kids (BCK) which is a local charity that raises funds to purchase new high-quality books for children in the Title I schools in Collier County. Mrs. Kolmer is the Vice Chair and Development coordinator for BCK.

Books for Collier Kids is celebrating a milestone of giving one million books since 2005 to children of low-income families in Collier County. BCK’s mission is to address one of the most important factors affecting literacy–access to books–by providing children in Head Start and Title I schools a new high quality, age-appropriate book once a month throughout the academic year. There are over 7,500 children in Pre-K, kindergarten, first- and second-grades that receive these books.

The Brownies and Daisies were treated to a short film on the need for access to books and how Books for Collier Kids is making a difference. There was a lively discussion about the meaning of philanthropy and sharing with those less fortunate. The girls were surprised to learn about the great need in Collier County for access to books in the homes of the less fortunate children. The girls also learned that sharing makes you feel so good about yourself.

The Brownies and Daisies plan to donate their collection of books to a few local charities. They know that “you have to learn to read in order to read to learn.” The source of success is through reading and books engage the mind, ignite imaginations and help develop reading skills needed for success in school and throughout their lives.

For more information about Books for Collier Kids, please visit www.booksforcollierkids.org