This Poughkeepsie group is using books to brighten the holidays for children in need
Nineteen years and more than 53,000 new books later, the Poughkeepsie Branch of the American Association of University Women has helped children stimulate their minds and open their imagination through reading.
The organization "tries to level the playing field for women and girls," said Elizabeth Harrel, the development vice president of the American Association of University Women's Poughkeepsie Branch. "We're a membership organization, and we work for equity in the workplace and in schools and try to support our local community."
One of their community services, Leading to Reading, gets books into the hands of children who need them most to build their home library and provide a better chance of success in school. "We focus on children from low and moderate-income families and we really try to support the literacy programs that are current, either in their schools or in the agencies they work with," Harrel said.
This year alone, Leading to Reading has distributed 2,100 new books. "We also have gently used books that we get from The Friends of the Poughkeepsie Public Library, and we use those in our Laundromat Libraries and in our Little Libraries," Harrel said.
Leading to Reading is one of the programs assisted by the Holiday Helping Hand campaign, a collaboration between the Poughkeepsie Journal and the United Way of the Dutchess-Orange Region.
This year $1000 provided by Holiday Helping Hand aided in purchasing books from Barnes & Noble for the 91 children at the temporary shelter, Hudson River Lodging. A gift provided by the United Methodist Church and other agencies, along with two books, are given to each child.
How to donate: From gift cards to holiday dinners, Holiday Helping Hand is assisting Dutchess residents
Books also make their way to agencies such as Rural and Migrant Ministry, Day One Early Learning Center, Harriet Tubman Academic Skills Center, and Astor Pre-School Programs. "We put labels on saying what it is and what age it's for, so the parent can choose the gifts they want to give to their child," Harrel said.
If you go to Barnes & Noble until Dec. 8 and buy a children's book, it will go directly to Leading to Reading, just let the bookseller know when you purchase.
On Nov. 29, volunteers of the Leading to Reading program came together at the United Methodist Church of Hyde Park to sort books and get them ready for wrapping in December.
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"It's a great program," said Patricia Luczai, a long-time volunteer for the program. "We've given away tens of thousands of books."
Luczai also said it's fun to work on a program with people you know and a lot of their board members get involved with the places where they donate books like the Astor pre-school programs.
Sally Kemink said helping with the Leading to Reading program was the natural path for her after retirement — "I was a reading teacher," she said. — and she's happy to promote a good cause.
Each book donated by Leading to Reading gets a sticker on the front inside page for parents to read. "Then we put something in the back related to an activity they can do after they've read the book," Kemink said.
Leading to Reading's reach doesn't stop there. The program involves initiatives for children, teens and infants. Books for Babies works with Northern Dutchess Hospital and starting in January, Vassar Brothers Medical Center, to provide a board book and a packet including tips on reading with especially young children.
Their Laundromat Libraries initiative's goal is to put books in places where children are waiting. They also have expanded past laundromats to food banks, the city court and wherever else they find children spending time. Members go at least once a month to refurbish the book baskets.
In their Little Libraries project, they try valiantly to get these lending libraries onto school grounds or into places near schools. When families walk by, they can grab books to take home. "We have 11 Little Libraries now," Harrel said.
They also have community readers who go into preschools to have story time once a month. To learn more about the Leading to Reading program and how to get involved, check out their website.
Holiday Helping Hand
Each year, the Poughkeepsie Journal and United Way of the Dutchess-Orange Region raise funds for Dutchess County programs that assist local kids and families in having a happy holiday season through the Holiday Helping Hand campaign.
To donate, visit uwdor.org/hhh23 or mail a check to Holiday Helping Hand, United Way of the Dutchess-Orange Region, 75 Market St., Poughkeepsie, NY 12601. Checks should be made payable to Holiday Helping Hand.
All donations go directly to Dutchess County organizations to serve those in need.
From Nov. 17-30, the following donations have been made to the 2023-24 Holiday Helping Hand campaign, totaling $3,951.56:
Anonymous, $25.66
Anonymous, $102.65
Natalie & Chris Thorsen, $51.32
Paul Rich, $50
Anonymous, $50
Anonymous, $100
Philip & Frances Shepherd, $100
Gerald & Helene Lutz, $50
In Memory of Dorthy & Alden Traver, From Charlie Traver, $100
Andrew & Kristine MacDonald, $100
Allan L Haines, $50
In Memory of Jerry & Shirley Delaney and Chris Hunt, Jr, From Michael & Debra Brown, $100
Anonymous, $5
In Memory of Dominick & Helen Palmeri From Norbert & Maryanne Hart, $25
Ann S Mercer, $50
In Memory of Our Parents Lorraine & Bob Goeway, and Bea & Mike Grega, from Linda Stow & Vincent Grega, $100
Dorothy Tervenski, $50
Nancy Ann Krisniski, $25
Shirley & Richard Granda, $50
In Memory of Erin Shanley, From Valerie Shanley, $100
Philip & Frances Shepherd, $100
The Lunch Bunch, $50
Anonymous, $100
Anonymous, $100
Edgar & Phyllis Stamy, $25
Anonymous, $16
In Loving Memory of Our Daughter, From Richard & Elizabeth Dorsey, $100
Anonymous, $100
In Memory of Emma L Whitehead, $25
In Memory of Our Parents, From L.K. & Girjesh Parashar, $75
Karen and Jim O'Brien, $153.98
Shirley & Richard Granda, $40
Anonymous, $256.64
In Memory of Erin Shanley, From Valerie Shanley, $100
Anonymous, $25
Bernard & Shirley Handel, $150
In Memory of Olive H Doty, From Cynthia Doty Stirling, $50
John & Barbara Marmillo, $100
In Memory of my husband, Gerald C Becker, and Daughter, Betsy M Mulder, From Margie Becker, $100
In Memory of R. Trueman Witherwax, From Dorothy Witherwax, $25
Anonymous, $50
Anonymous, $50
John & Harriet Furey, $250
In Memory of T-Bone, From Anonymous, $20
In Memory of My Husband Vince Libretti, From Rose Libretti, $100
Frank & Rose Van Zanten, $300
Kathy Hogan
This article originally appeared on Poughkeepsie Journal: Poughkeepsie volunteers deliver books to children for holiday season
