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How can I:
Help children discover the wonderful world of books?
- Help children learn that there is an adult who cares?
- Help children see that some adults don't hit each other?
You can do all of these when you sit down with a group of children at one of the Kansas City area battered women's shelters and read for thirty minutes each week. Domestic violence occurs everyday, all over the
country, without regard to income level, race, or education. In Kansas City, an average of 21 people are arrested daily for domestic violence. And the children suffer. Some suffer physical violence,
along with their mothers, and some suffer psychological violence when they watch their mother's situation, but they all suffer. One of the goals of all of the battered women's shelters is to break the cycle of
domestic violence. Statistics have long shown that children who grow up in homes with violence are much more likely to become victims and abusers themselves. While trained professional counselors must
provide most of the healing, ordinary, loving, caring adults like you can help also.
"Reading Reaches – kids' minds, kids' hearts"
is a program that puts caring adults, individual men and women, as well as couples, in the various shelters to read to children. The program allows you to read your favorite books to the children, and, sometimes, allows you to listen as they read their favorites.
Volunteers receive training concerning domestic violence in general, as well as the practical aspects of living day-to-day in this type of environment. Additionally, volunteers receive reading suggestions and
continual feedback and assistance concerning reading the best-loved kids books. |
