Sharing their love of reading
Submitted by Susan Dougherty
When the social committee at the Riverview Apartments at Cranford Station was looking for an activity to help the local community area, the idea of a book drive for children and young people was raised. They agreed that anything they could do to promote learning would be significant. Committee members Rachel Pasichow and Annette Radick put up signs in the two buildings at 103 and 105 Chestnut Street in Cranford, arranged for drop-off boxes to be placed strategically, and encouraged the residents to donate. Their posters and emails reminded the residents to support the drive that continued in early spring. At the end of the month-long drive, a total of 172 new and gently used books for preschool through high school were collected. “I never expected we would get such a bounty,” Ms. Radick said as she and Ms. Pasichow loaded donated books into recyclable bags ready for delivery.
The committee members wanted to have the largesse go to underserved children in Union County, so the decision was made to drop the bags and bundles of soft and hardcover books to D.A.S.H. (Destiny After School Haven), a group that the Union County Performing Arts Center in Rahway is promoting. UCPAC has partnered with the charity effort to encourage children to read this summer. Elementary school teachers and experts alike say younger children especially are prone to the most learning loss during the summer months because they are at a crucial stage in their development. Through this book drive of caring residents, each child in the summer program will get to select a new book or two to start their own collection of favorites.
Courtesy photo
