Bloomington Rotary Club assembles 600 literacy backpacks at Day of Action
Over two days in early December, 21 Bloomington Rotary Club members masked up and volunteered their time for a Day of Action to assemble 600 literacy backpacks for area youth.
"As we were stuffing the backpacks with books, I was thinking about how much joy they would bring to children," said Sara Laughlin, a Rotary Club volunteer. "And, of course, it was fun to work alongside friends. For me, volunteering in our community is the best part of my Rotary service."
The number of books in a child's home is strongly linked to better education outcomes later in life. The literacy backpacks included age-appropriate storybooks, workbooks, and writing supplies to ignite a love for reading and help strengthen literacy skills.
“Unfortunately, children in low-income households typically have fewer books in their home,” explained Executive Director Efrat Feferman. “Projects such as this Day of Action, along with our ongoing literacy programs, can help reimagine a new normal where every child in our community has the opportunity to achieve in school and beyond.”
Thanks to volunteers, 600 children will receive a literacy backpack to help give them this opportunity. Middle Way House, Monroe County United Ministries, Boys and Girls Clubs of Bloomington, Big Brothers Big Sisters, and the Leap Ahead Center received backpacks to distribute to children who interact with their agencies.
A big thank you to the entire Bloomington Rotary Club team for volunteering their time and for the $6,000 grant that funded this entire project! We appreciate your partnership to reimagine a better normal.
