United Way Women's Initiative Helps with Book Drive

Read To Me, a collaboration between SCAN, Healthier Moms and Babies, East Wayne Street Center, United Way of Allen County’s Women’s Initiative, and a dedicated group of volunteers and companies, is trying to collect 15,000 new and gently used children’s books to use over the next 12 months in Allen County.

They ask individuals, organizations and businesses to collect books appropriate for kids from infancy through high school. These books will be distributed to SCAN (Stop Child Abuse and Neglect), Healthier Moms and Babies, and the East Wayne Street Center to use in their programs encouraging parents to read to their children. Family reading helps develop good parenting skills, brings families together and helps children develop good reading habits all of which have positive, long-term results for families and the community.

Beginning August 20^th all Walgreen’s and Allen County Public Library locations will have collection boxes available so people can donate books. Books can also be brought to United Way's offices at 334 E. Berry St. These sites will be available through the end of September. If an individual has a large number of books to give, Read To Me asks that you contact SCAN at 260-421-5000 to arrange delivery at the Read To Me office. 

The Read To Me partners thank Parkview Hospital, which has leased storage space to the program for $10 a year.

For more information about the Read To Me program, contact Stephanie Jentgen, SCAN Communication Director at 260-421-5000 or sjentgen@scaninc.org.