Rachel Hungler, an AmeriCorps member with the City of Covington, left, and community volunteer JoAnn Bryant wrap books at the Read Ready Covington event.
COVINGTON, Ky. - Some 200 books were distributed Tuesday as part of Read Ready Covington’s goal of giving young children something to read over the holiday break.
The early childhood literacy initiative held a Popup Holiday Bookstore at the Community Center of City Heights to give parents and caregivers in Covington public housing sites free books to give as presents.
“We estimate at least 180 books were wrapped yesterday,” said Mary Kay Connolly, who is coordinating the initiative for the City. “It was exciting to watch parents get books not only for their children but for nieces and nephews as well.”
Other used books were given out for immediate distribution to children, Connolly said. Furthermore, additional books are being delivered to families in the Head Start program and living in Covington shelters.
“If it were possible to hear the collective sound of kids reading aloud or being read to by adults in their lives, I think there’d be a chorus this Christmas,” she said.
The books were provided by the Campbell County and R.C. Durr (Burlington) branches of the YMCA of Greater Cincinnati, which collected donations through book drives.
About Read Ready Covington
Covington launched the Read Ready Covington initiative on Nov. 8 to increase the percentage of Covington children who enter kindergarten prepared and able to do the work, and to increase the percentage of children reading on grade level by the end of the third grade.
The campaign focuses on the use of free early literacy apps for parents living in Covington zip codes. The apps - Footsteps2Brilliance/CleverKidsUniversity - are designed to help parents introduce reading skills to their young children and share time reading together.
Posters with the words “Read Ready Covington” (or “Listo A Leer Covington”) are appearing in storefront windows around the City.
To get a poster, or for more information about Read Ready Covington or the Footsteps2Brilliance literacy apps, contact Mary Kay Connolly at
mkconnolly@covingtonky.gov
# # #