Fun Day To Celebrate Reading
Ferst Readers books are free and available to every registered child in Jasper County. Every child from birth to five years is enttitled to a book a month through Ferst Readers.
The leaders of Ferst Readers are all volunteers and make up the Community Action Team (CAT). There is no office space, no overhead and no salaries, yet these volunteers work to raise funds and donations to make Ferst Readers possible in Jasper County. Ferst Readers holds a Four Star rating, the highest possible rating for the wise use of funds, from Charity Navigator.
The single fund-raiser is Seuss On The Loose, held in conjunction with Read Across America. The event is Saturday, March 8, 10 am-noon at Jasper County High school.
CAT Members include Tamala Alexander, Lynn Bentley, Mary Sue Carter, Karen Dotson, Pam Edge, Shawne Holder, Lynne Jordan, Chair; Bekah Mullinax, Elaine Odom, Mattie Stodghill, Lynne Tanner and Cora Whidby. In preparation for the Seuss on the Loose fun day at Jasper County High School, the Cat in the Hat is visiting around town. He also was seen checking out the work of members of FCCLA who decorated the window at the Chamber of Commerce on the downtown Square.
Ferst Readers’ mission is “strengthening communities by providing quality books and literacy resources for children and their families to use at home during the earliest stages of development.” Ferst Readers wants every child to have the best start in life—and nothing helps a baby’s brain develop more than exposure to rich language and loving interactions.
The key is having books in the home and being read to—right from birth. Our vision is “to create better learners, brighter futures, and stronger communities by giving every child under five access to quality books in their homes.”
Children in the Ferst Readers literacy program receive bookstore-quality, age-specific books and resources mailed to them at home every month until their fifth birthday. It is this access to print which helps create a language-rich environment in the home. They can be signed up at the festival on March 8.