I joined Literacy Connexus . . .
As a kindergarten teacher for many years, I could identify very quickly those children who had exposure to literacy during the early years. In fact, the first five years are crucial in laying the foundation for literacy skills as children enter school. The more we can impact those first few years, the more we change everything. It makes such a difference in the lives of children to have adults who care for not only physical and emotional needs, but literacy needs as well. This is why I am excited to be a part of Literacy Connexus and Books for the Border and Beyond--using my gifts as an educator and my interest in missions. So many children, especially along the border, live in homes where reading is absent. In areas of poverty there are no printed materials in the houses. Some homes along the Texas border have no solid floors, running water or indoor toilets, much less books. In the midst of poverty, Books for the Border reading fairs can give these families a sense of hope. Through the reading fairs, families have an opportunity to observe modeled reading, choose books, and personalize a bookcase to take home. I had the privilege of participating in Books for the Border projects this past spring in and around Eagle Pass, Texas. With my church and a group of students from William Jewell College in Missouri, we held a couple of family reading fairs and visited the Kickapoo Indian reservation. Our prayer is that the bookcase and bag of books provided to each family will be a foundation of change on which to build their futures. God has touched my heart as to how we, as people of faith, can reach out to those who have little opportunity to develop literacy skills. I feel strongly that Books for the Border and Beyond is one avenue to make a difference in the lives of others, and to demonstrate the love of Christ. Please join us in making an investment in those who need our help. Caroline Bell Literacy Connexus Early Literacy Specialist Fort Worth, TX |
This Saturday, March 10, 2012, 8:30am, at Dallas Baptist University, Pilgrim Chapel, 3000 Mountain Creek Parkway, Dallas, 
