Students help build literacy program
Stakeholders in Literacy Merritt, a league of benevolent promoters of reading, assembled for breakfast at Merritt Secondary School on Thursday to recognize students who have helped the program grow.
Michelle Welch and Josh Isaac worked alongside other students to assemble bookshelves, stack them with books and deliver them. Fourteen have been assembled and three more are expected to be added in the coming weeks.
“It was hard, at first, to make the bookshelves, but then we got the hang of it,” Welch said, noting a few of the recipients include Merritt Central Elementary, Diamond Vale Elementary and Merritt Moms. “We also cleaned, stickered and sorted the books, then delivered the bookshelves to the community... It was tough, but we got through it and it feels good to help out.”
According to fellow student, Isaac, the students have been involved in the program for the past two months.
“They forced me to do it,” he said, laughing. “Actually, the program has really built my awareness about reading and I’m enjoying it a lot more now.”
The students helped build and paint the bookshelves. The wood was collected from donations and with the help of Nicola-Similkameen School District 58.
But the assistance doesn’t stop with the students. Kelly Donaldson, Community Policing Co-ordinator, has helped facilitate the program throughout the community with the help of other staff at the Community Policing Office.
The program was launched out of the office last June.
“We were the first office to have the bookshelves,” she said. “We promoted the program in the community and donations were dropped off to us.”
She said the staff at the community policing office placed signs outside the building, asking for donations. The poster advertising was augmented by a weekly radio report.
Robyn Grebliunas, Literacy Outreach Co-ordinator, touted the efforts of the students and other stakeholders.
“If we didn’t have the help of the students and others, we’d still be trying to assemble enough books to fill our first bookshelf,” she said. “This community has helped us put books into the hands of those who don’t have them.”
She said Literacy Merritt is a part of the Bright Red Bookshelves international program, which is focused on providing children with reading materials.
“We have expanded the program to include members of the community in every age group,” she said, noting that Kamloops has found enough contributions to fill seven bookshelves, while Merritt has collected enough to fill the shelves of at least 17.
Anyone who wants to donate books to Literacy Merritt can make a drop-off at the Community Policing Office on Quilchena Ave. Those who want to receive books can find them at several locations throughout the city, including at some coffee shops and in clinics.
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