Dametria Lowery, 9, puts the finishing touch on a book she gift wraps and will give to a friend. She and several thousand people attended the annual Christmas Book giveaway, Saturday, December 5, 2008.
In at least 70 cities, police have discovered an unconventional way to keep the peace. They maintain an arsenal of books in the trunks of their squad cars, which they distribute to kids in an effort to build stronger community ties and help promote literacy.
The person behind this unique approach is Julia “Mae” Burney-Witherspoon, who founded Cops ‘N Kids in 1997 and received a Use Your Life Award in 2000 on The Oprah Winfrey Show—a testament to the creativity and effectiveness of her idea. Eight years later her program has been adopted as far away as Venezuela and the Philippines, and Julia finds herself traveling the country donning a Dr. Seuss outfit to read to kids whenever a new Cops ‘N Kids opens up.
View the segment on ABC "Person f the Week" entitled:Throwing the book at Kids.
No comments:
Post a Comment