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Health & Fitness

The Liberty Bank Foundation to Present Check to Reach Out and Read CT

The Liberty Bank Foundation will present Reach Out and Read CT with a check in the amount of $2,500 in support of their early-literacy and parental engagement program.  The grant will provide new, developmentally-appropriate books to young children and early-literacy guidance to their parents during regular pediatric checkups at Mansfield Pediatrics and Pro Health Physicians/Windham Pediatrics, the two Reach Out and Read programs in Mansfield and Windham CT.  Reach Out and Read serves over 2,000 young children annually at these two pediatric offices. 

The check presentation will be held on Thursday, May 16 at 9:00 AM at Mansfield Pediatrics.  

Reach Out and Read’s model includes providing a new, age-appropriate book for each child to take home and keep at every checkup from 6 months through 5 years.  Along with the free book for every child, doctors and nurses provide individually tailored guidance to parents about the importance of reading aloud with their children every day.     

Nationwide, Reach Out and Read doctors and nurses serve 4 million children and their families annually at nearly 5,000 pediatric practices, hospitals, clinics, and health centers in all 50 states, with a focus on centers that reach low-income communities.  In Connecticut, Reach Out and Read reaches over 44,000 children and families each year through their 68 clinical locations.

Reach Out and Read is a proven intervention, supported by 15 independent, published research studies. During the preschool years, children served by Reach Out and Read score three to six months ahead of their non-Reach Out and Read peers on vocabulary tests, preparing them to start school on target.   For more information on Reach Out and Read, please visit their website or email Christine Garber, CT Program Director.

Since its inception in 1997, the Liberty Bank Foundation has awarded over $7.3 million in grants to nonprofit organizations within Liberty Bank’s market area.  The foundation seeks to improve the quality of life for people of low or moderate income by investing in the areas of preventive programming for children and families, affordable housing, and nonprofit capacity building.  Along with its grant making, the foundation strives to foster the convening and collaboration of nonprofits, funders, business, and government to address community issues.   To learn more about the Foundation's work, please visit their website.



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