CKR Summer Highlights & Autumn News

Although the summer months are behind us, County Kids Read certainly had some fun in the sun this year.

On July 22nd, the Prince Edward Learning Centre, PEC Library, and CKR all gathered together to host the second annual Reading Round-up at Macaulay Village. PELC hosted a BBQ while offering info to those interested in adult learning services available here in PEC. The library was on-site with the ever-popular button maker, handing out information about library services and how families can obtain their very own library card. To round out the Round-up, CKR helped to make the event a success by handing out 62 books to children and families for free. Overall, it was a remarkable day at the Reading Round-up for kids and adults alike. Events such as this are pivotal in creating community and supporting literacy and learning. 

A child selects the perfect book at the Reading Round-up. July 22, 2022

This past July, CKR also received its first ever corporate donation. Thank you so much to Toronto Dominion Bank Picton. We are so grateful for their generous support and donation. Pictured below are employees of TD alongside the Chair of the CKR Board, Anne Preston.

TD bank employees present donation to Anne Preston, CKR chair. July, 2022.

With summer wrapped up and autumn in full swing, CKR volunteers are as busy as ever. Volunteers spent the day this week stamping and shelving books. These books will be distributed this fall to children in need through our 14 community partners. 

CKR volunteers hard at work

CKR volunteers busy at work in the reading room. September 16th, 2022

Lastly, CKR would like to thank the Kinsmen Club for their continued support of our program. The money will be used to purchase and distribute new books and nearly-new books for children throughout the County. CKR is 100% volunteer run, and donations such as this are a huge help as they are directly targeted towards the purchase of books.

Anne Preston, chair of CKR, receiving a donation from the Kinsmen Club. September, 2022

Fall is All About Fresh Starts

With the arrival of autumn, County Kids Read is bringing a fresh approach to our website and social media.

Check out our  website and click on the “Updates” page, which will now offer regular bi-weekly posts of any news or events involving CKR. These posts can also be found on our Facebook page. We welcome you to follow us @CountyKidsRead.

Did you know we have a newsletter . . . ?

Every month you can receive the CKR newsletter directly in your inbox, offering a more detailed look at recent news and events. Head to the “Newsletter” tab on our homepage, enter your name and email address, and simply click subscribe.

The fall season also means that kids are back to school. As children head back to the classroom, it’s important to reflect on the changes the pandemic inflicted on their education. School closures and interruptions in daily instruction has had a long-term impact on children and their learning. Now more than ever, children will need on-going support so that Covid does not create what the United Nations has called “a lost generation of young people” (2020). Please consider MAKING A DONATION to CKR. Simply hit the “donate” button on our website, and we can begin to fill those backpacks with books.

Let’s all do our part, one page at a time!

Back to school in PEC . . .

Vaccinations and Books to Read

County Kids Read, in partnership with the PEC Health Team and the Municipality, has set up a collection of children’s books at the Picton Vaccination Clinic. The vaccination clinic for children aged 5 to 12 is being held Saturday, January 29 as well as the weekend of February 5 at the Prince Edward Community Centre. As the children wait for 15 minutes after receiving their shot, they will be invited to choose a book to take home with them.

Anne Preston and Kate McNaughton pack up books to go to the Vaccination Clinic

A variety of books on display for the children who come to the Vaccination Clinic

County Kids Read Receives Municipal and Parrott Foundation Grants

We are very pleased to announce that County Kids Read has been awarded a Municipal Grant and a grant from the Parrott Foundation.

The Municipal Grant will be used to purchase Board Books for our program with a focus on three early intervention programs - Babies and Beyond, Prescription to Read, and Books for County Babies.

The Parrot Foundation Grant will be used to implement a literacy, learning and well-being response project to address pressing issues that have arisen due to the pandemic, including learning gaps and increased anxiety among school children ages 5 to 12. By distributing learning kits and mental health kits, we will reinforce literacy skills and development, and alleviate the levels of worry and anxiety for our most vulnerable children. 

PEC Helping PEC - COVID19 Fund

County Kids Read has received a grant from the PEC Helping PEC - Covid 19 Fund. Funding will allow County Kids Read to purchase books to distribute to County families with a focus on supporting early literacy development in children from birth to Grade three. Books will be both non-fiction, fiction and will include books focusing on anxiety and mental health. "With the impact of COVID-19 on the start of the school year, many children are experiencing higher levels of worry and distress."  CAHM (Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto)