Bring Me A Book

The past few months have been beneficial for our committee. We have been practicing what we learned in our First Teacher's training in October 2010. We have had to opportunity to train parents and are preparing for a month long training class coming up this April/May.

This past week we took our training skills to Coffee Creek Correctional Facility where we trained approximately 20 mothers in the medium security prison. We explained the importance of reading with their children and of fostering a love of reading between them. We talked about ways they could build a relationship with their child and reading while being away from them. In addition to brainstorming, we helped train the mothers for their reading with Between the Lines. We gave them examples of reading strategies for before, during and after reading. We talked about making connections and asking questions. We also talked about the importance of reading slowly and with expression. The mothers were given the opportunity to look through the books and to practice what we had talked about. They were able to ask questions and get assistance. Everyone seemed to learn a lot about reading aloud and they were all excited to read for their children.

We are continuing to practice our training and to come up with ideas for our training this coming spring with White Shield. 

Bring Me a Book had a fabulous spring working with the girls at White Shield. It was a greatly rewarding experience for our committee to see first hand the impact that our First Teacher program is having on the young moms. We served 16 soon to be or new moms and their children. Attached is a wonderful article written by Teresa Engel called "Junior League of Portland Inspires Young Mothers at Salvation Army White Shield Center to Be Their Babies’ First Teachers"

We have been working all summer with the Between the Lines committee that is also a part of the community programs for the Junior League of Portland. The primary goal of Between the Lines is to support family unity and bonding during times of separation due to either incarceration or deployment. We introduce Bring Me a Book to the Coffee Creek Correctional Facility on October 1, Bring Me a Book, held a reading workshop for 30 mothers that signed up to read with Between the Lines on October 9.  We are really excited about this endeavor because it helped increase the level of interaction that the mothers had when recording these stories to their children. The Bring Me a Book workshop also taught them life skills that will help them read better with their child not only for the Between the Lines reading, but in the future when hopefully they will be reunited with their child.

Bring Me a Book has started the league year with a wonderful volunteer training on October 16, for 24 league members lead by Julie Fowlkes an international Bring Me a Book trainer. We had a wonderful day of learning, laughter and fun it was a great way to kick off our year. We look forward to our upcoming First Teacher Trainings with Morrison Children and Family Services, White Shield, and Coffee Creek Correctional Facility.

• "Junior League of Portland Inspires Young Mothers (DOC)