Impact Summer Reading: ‘This looks like a good mission’
Published 12:00 am Thursday, June 4, 2015
A mission, a calling, a family tradition. Encouraging children to read is all of that and more to people who have been contributing to the Impact Summer Reading Fund.
The fund will enable each rising sixth- through 12th-grader in the Rowan Salisbury Schools to choose a book to own and read over the sumer.
The Women of Faith at South China Grove Baptist Church donated $100 to the Impact Summer Reading Fund. Relena Talbert is in charge of mission projects for the group, she said, “and this looks like a good mission.”
Talbert is herself an avid reader and thinks it’s important for children to read and expand their horizons. “You can travel the world and stay at home,” she said.
The women’s group is directing its donation to four elementary schools in its area: China Grove, Landis, Enochville and Bostian.
Loretta Warner made a gift in honor of her granddaughter, Valerie Graham, who graduated from West Rowan High School.
“She has a love for reading,” Warner said. “I remember reading to her … She has passed that love on to her two little sons.”
Fittingly, she gave $14.22 — enough to help two children receive a book.
Students often experience a learning loss when they’re out of school — the “summer slide.”
Children from disadvantaged homes have less access to reading materials. They often are behind their peers when they start kindergarten, lose more ground over each summer and suffer what experts call a “cascading effect,” losing more and more ground.
Others have called it the “Matthew effect” — the rich get richer and the poor get poorer — in academic skills and knowledge.
The Impact Summer Reading Fund attempts to give all children access to summer reading material.
Our goal is $76,000. The deadline is Friday.
Last total … $27,577.22
Diane & Seth Labovitz … $25
Jerry Swink … $30
In honor of Valerie Graham, by Loretta Warner … $14.22
Margaret L. Stahr … $50
Nick & Gail Langdon … $30
For China Grove, Landis, Enochville and Bostian schools, by Women of Faith, South China Grove Baptist Church … $100
Today’s total … $27,826.44
How to give
• By check, made out to the Rowan-Salisbury School System, with “Impact Summer Reading” in the memo line. Also indicate whether you want the funds to go to a particular school. Tributes are welcome. Please mail to:
Rowan-Salisbury Schools
Attn: Tara Trexler
P.O. Box 2349
Salisbury, NC 28145-2349
Checks may also be dropped off at one of the school administrative sites located at 314 N. Ellis St., Salisbury or 110 S. Long St., East Spencer
• By credit card online at https://www.fftc.org/impact-summer-reading-program. Note that credit card companies take approximately a 3 percent fee out of each transaction.
• By transfer, for those who make their donations through Foundations for the Carolinas; please call Meg Dees at 704-224-8840.
The deadline for donations is June 5.
– See more at: http://www.salisburypost.com/2015/05/31/impact-summer-reading-student-honors-ralph-ketner/#sthash.i2gwiNzF.dpuf
