Summer Reading Program Benefits Heifer International

While summer reading benefits students when they head back into the classroom in the fall, the and the Rotary Club of Milton are creating a more global benefit.

Children ages three through 12 can log their hours reading or being read to on the library’s website this summer. If the Summer Reading Club amasses 100,000 minutes of reading between June 20 and August 12, the Rotary Club will make a donation to Heifer International, a charitable organization, which provides animals and education to under-privileged individuals worldwide.

Last week, Rachel Brown, a volunteer for Heifer International, held an information session for children participating in the “One World - Many Stories” themed summer program.

Brown told the handful of children in attendance about the background of the organization, which was created in the 1940s. Farmer Dan West was giving out rations of reconstituted milk to children after the Spanish Civil War, when the idea for Heifer International hit him.

"He said, ‘These children don't need a cup, they need a cow,’” Brown said of the organization’s founder.

Brown played several kid-friendly games during her presentation including demonstrating how one animal can positively impact many people using a stuffed animal and a guessing game.

All of the activities centered on the impact Heifer International makes around the world and therefore the assistance Milton can provide through the reading program.

"You can make a world of difference by reading," Brown said to conclude her presentation.

For more about the Summer Reading Club visit the library’s website, where readers can learn more, sign up and log minutes.