Each February, K is for Kids Foundation sponsors events promoting literacy for children and their families called “Bring a Book, Bring a Friend Fun’raisers.” Each year the children most in need of books are absent. So, this year, K is for Kids fulfilled its vow to take its fun’raising celebrations out to children in remote Collier County, bringing books, authors and the “power of reading”…. Four authors were joined by K is for Kids’ high school volunteers, moms, and founder Karen Clawson. What often can be a long ride along a mostly two-lane state road was made much more enjoyable thanks to complimentary transportation donated by Atlantis Cars & Limousines.
The afternoon was overcast but the rain stayed at bay on the second day of February as the special guests traveled the 45-minute ride. In the meantime, Collier County Housing Authority employees set up a tent to cover the boxes of donated books that had already been delivered, blew up a bounce house for children, set up a cotton candy machine, and got a barbecue fired up for the dozens of children and families who were about to return home and join the celebrations.
While K is for Kids’ teen volunteers, face painters for the event, got busy applying colorful images on youngsters cheeks, a cheer began as youngsters helped founder Karen Clawson at the microphone, rallying young attendees to “Power up! (clap-clap) Power up! (clap-clap) Power up (clap-clap) with reading!” Then the four guests authors and kids went inside the community center building to share stories, sing and even dance.
Read the news release below for the full story and see all the pics at K is for Kids’ facebook page: www.facebook.com/kisforkids. (Pics will be uploaded here soon as well.)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — January 24, 2012
Karen Clawson,
Founder and executive director of K is for Kids Foundation
telephone 239.596.KIDS (5437) * email Karen@kisforkids.org
Literacy month launches by taking celebrations to children in Immokalee: Bringing books, authors and the power of reading to Farm Workers Village
K is for Kids Foundation launched its 4th annual Bring a Book, Bring a Friend for Children’s Literacy Month in February by taking celebrations out to children living at Farm Workers Village in Immokalee. Partnering with the Collier County Housing Authority, the Foundation brought new books for the children to take home, guest authors for the children to meet and members of K is for Kids’ Teen Advisory Team who did colorful face painting for the youngsters. The community gathering was organized by the Housing Authority and features a barbecue for residents and a bounce house for kids. The event took place Thursday afternoon, February 2nd. The theme was all about literacy and “the power of reading.” Atlantis Cars & Limousines provided transportation to the event for the four guest authors — Robert Dean Bair, Jenny Craig, Edythe Cohen and Juliana Howard — teen spokesperson Danielle Verduchi from Naples High School and K is for Kids founder Karen Clawson.
A book drive sponsored by K is for Kids ran throughout the holidays and new year and raised thousands of books for the children. With over 350 children living in the Village, books are always in demand but in scarce supply. The event focused on raising books that are needed the most (for reading levels first through third grade), but new and gently used books are always welcome for children of all ages, from toddlers to teens. To learn more or to arrange a pick-up of book donations, email info@
Other participants at the event included Collier County Sheriff’s Deputies, Village Oaks Elementary School’s principal Dorcas Howard and VOE media specialist, Stephanie Griffin. A representative of the Collier County Public Library Immokalee Branch was also on hand — and thanks to the library and K is for Kids’ teen volunteers, all the donated books were sorted beforehand into age appropriate categories.
To learn more about the needs of children living in the Farm Workers Village, telephone Esmeralda “Essie” Serrata, executive director of the Collier County Housing Authority at 239.657.3649.
Authors appearing at the event were Jennifer “Jenny” Craig who read children and their parents her book “I am Beautiful.” The sweet story utilizes real photographs of three dogs — Sugar, Angel and Star – who each worry about how they look differently when compared to other dogs; that is, until their friend Savannah helps them each see their unique beauty and gifts. Thanks to a grant from the Northside Naples Kiwanis Club, children received free copies of the book that were signed at the event by the author.
Visiting Minnesota author Juliana Howard — in Naples on vacation — cancelled a trip to the east coast so that she could share her book with the children: “Catie the Copycat,” illustrated by Howard’s granddaughter, Sophia Heymans, is a delightful rhyming story with an important message for children of all ages about self-worth. Catie is a copycat until she meets the queen in a dream, who tells her, “YOU are the queen. I live within!” Howard donated free copies of her book to the young attendees, and did a book signing alongside Ms. Craig. Ms. Howard also shared a song and dance with the audience and when author Robert Dean “Bob” Bair got up to dance with her, the kids roared with laughter.
Stories continued as author Edythe “Edye” Cohen told the story of a young girl living in the Bronx who helped transform a vacant lot in her neighborhood into the “Ghetto Garden” — a place where children and their families could grow and enjoy vegetables, fruits and flowers. According to Ms. Serrata, this story arrives at a special time — the Housing Authority has been searching for a section of land for residents to cultivate a garden, too. “Last year we talked about planting a garden as part of a local community project, but we had to stop due to the land being slated for re-development. We hope we can move forward with this project in the near future.”
More adventurous stories were next related when Mr. Bair spoke about the post-World War II experiences of his character Rob Royal, detailed in his books “The Cloisters of Canterbury” and “Peace at Lambeth Bridge.” Bair tells the story of courage exhibited by Royal and a group of ordinary people with deep convictions, honor, patriotism, and integrity. They risk their lives to fight corruption, treason and murder during the months leading to the end of World War II and thereafter. Mr. Bair urged the children to read as many books as they can while they’re young.
“Recognizing that the children most in need of books are often those that cannot attend our children’s literacy events due to lack of transportation or resources,” explained Karen, “we vowed to bring the celebrations out to them. Recently we began working with Essie through two of our book donation programs to help provide more books for the children at Farm Workers Village; we were delighted when this opportunity came up to help ring in the new year with new books for these kids. But the best part,” she said, “is always getting to meet and talk with the children.”