In efforts to raise children’s morale within the community, the California Scholarship Federation (CSF) will assist in the Children’s Literacy Fair at Children’s Hospital Central California (Valley Children’s Hospital) on March 28.
“We are always looking for community service opportunities,” adviser Ellen King said. “President Kristen Amerine has been very resourceful in finding opportunities to serve.”
The local literacy fair joins with national organizations like the National Endowment for the Arts who sponsors The Big Read each year.
Students will meet outside the main entrance of the hospital at 8:45 A.M., to organize the workstations. From 9 A.M.-12 P.M., each patient will have the opportunity to select an age appropriate book, have it read to him or her and take the book home after the fair. The Fresno event is one of hundreds of literacy fairs organized annually across the country.
Although the whole club will not be attending, 15 students will visit and read to patients. During the three-hour duration, volunteers will be stationed at one of several locations throughout the hospital and read to numerous children in their region.
“I’m glad to see CSF being more involved,” Bill Cowin, ’08, said, “within the community and benefiting the children.”
Although this is the first year members from this campus will help with the Literary Fair, CSF raised $6,700 for the Children’s Hospital in the Christmas fundraiser. Members greeted people walking Christmas Tree Lane and collected donations on the two-mile stretch of houses on Dec. 2, 2006.
“I helped out with the Christmas fundraiser,” Mitchell Callisch, ’09, said. “I think it’s great that we can help the hospital again, to bring aide to those in need.”
Students involved will receive complete community service credit for the entire semester.
“It’s good to participate in CSF because, in addition to missing a few hours of school and community service hours, you mainly bring joy to kids who need it,” Callisch said. “They get happiness, enjoyment and a break from all their worries.”
After reading and conversing with the patients, the hospital will provide lunch for the volunteers from 12-1 P.M. Students will caravan back to campus and return during the middle of seventh period at 1:30 P.M.
