April in Chautauqua County usually brings warmer weather, green lawns, bright flowers and an annual celebration of our community’s young children. The “Month of the Young Child” is celebrated in various ways throughout the county, but at the United Way of Northern Chautauqua County, it has become all about literacy. Specifically, the focus on early grade literacy in northern Chautauqua County preschool to fifth-grade students.

Deborah Tederous, the executive director of United Way, stated “The mission of the United Way is to empower our communities through education, financial stability and health. These children are the future of our community, and providing them with educational and engaging reading materials can help to make that future a bright one.”

This is the fifth year UWNCC has taken the opportunity to distribute books and literacy kits in the community. By putting together and distributing free literacy kits to children, the UWNCC hopes to provide each child with educational materials and instill a love of reading.

The “Rainbow Fish” inspired literacy kits were assembled by Jamestown Business College’s Dunkirk students. Over 30 students helped decorate and fill 200 tote bags. Each bag contained a book, stickers, a stamp and activities. Volunteers and staff read the book “Rainbow Fish” by Marcus Pfister, to groups of students at the Campus & Community 3PK and at Northern Chautauqua County Head Start.

Age appropriate books were distributed to Pre-K to fifth-grade students within the Dunkirk City School District. More than 1,200 books reached the youth of the community during the month of April. “Putting books in the hands of our students helps us reach our literacy goals. Every child in our school has goals for reading,” stated Kim Texter, Principal at Dunkirk Elementary School 4, “The United Way Book Giveaway helps our students continue to reach and surpass those goals.”