Parents reading to their children is vitally important, and the Read to Me program works to make that easier for families in Seward County.
“Our goal is to encourage adults to read with children, specifically parents, but other adults too because reading aloud to kids has so much value,” said program director Carla Ketner.
The program works to do this by providing free books to children in the county very early in their lives.
“(We give) kids a free book when they’re born at the Seward Memorial Hospital and when they have their one-year old check up with any of the physicians at Memorial Healthcare Systems,” Ketner said. “Then they get a free book when they go to kindergarten round up at any of the Seward schools.
They are automatically given to children with no need to sign up for the program.
Though the program has gone through many changes, Ketner has been involved since the beginning.
“They asked me to be involved, and I said yes,” Ketner said. “Over time, the committee has dwindled away and now Bridges does all of the administrative things.”
With Ketner being one of the few people left involved in the program, she directs many of the decisions, mainly being the person that selects the books given to the children.
Seward County Bridges has also served in helping to keep the program alive and functioning.
“I don’t think I could do this if Bridges wasn’t the umbrella we could fall under so we don’t have to renew our 501C3 every year,” Ketner said.
Read to Me also gives information and tips on reading to children and creating an environment to read.
“(Reading) is one of those things that we don’t do as much as we should with kids of all ages, so we want to encourage people to read aloud with kids whenever possible.” Ketner said.
The Read to Me program is a nonprofit under Seward County Bridges, making donations tax-deductible. Donation checks can be made to Seward County Bridges, Inc., with “Read to Me” noted in the memo. Donations may be dropped off at the Seward Civic Center or mailed to Seward County Bridges, Inc., 616 Bradford St., Seward, NE 68434.
