Altrusa Te Awamutu literacy committee co-chairwomen Robyn Moore (left) and Lyn Coutts with some of the children's books for the Bright Box at Loving Arms. Photo / Dean Taylor
Altrusa Te Awamutu literacy committee co-chairwomen Robyn Moore (left) and Lyn Coutts with some of the children's books for the Bright Box at Loving Arms. Photo / Dean Taylor
Te Awamutu Altrusa’s commitment to improving literacy among youngsters is well under way for this year.
The club has two main ongoing literacy projects — Books for Babes and Bright Boxes — plus fun events for school children that are also challenging and could earn a prize.
In Books for Babes, Altrusa gives every newborn at the Te Awamutu Birthing Centre a new book to start them on their literacy journey.
Bright Boxes is a new project that makes it easy for kids and parents to get hold of suitable reading material through a type of mini recycling library.
The club applied to the Altrusa Foundation fund for a grant, which was successful and enabled this project to come to life.
Bright Boxes are exactly that — brightly coloured boxes filled with good-quality second-hand and new books that can be found at several community organisations in Te Awamutu.
The club has so far provided more than 400 books to children in the community and is restocking the boxes at regular intervals. The goal is for the books to be read and kept for other family members or friends or returned to the boxes, much like a lending library.
The club is grateful to the Te Awamutu Menz Shed for making the boxes.
The organisations supporting the project as distribution points are Plunket, Loving Arms, Kainga Aroha, Women’s Refuge and Māori Women’s Welfare League.
Children's books for the Bright Boxes sharing library.
Next for the Altrusa Te Awamutu literacy committee is a fun Hairy Maclary and Friends reading event for children at the Te Awamutu Library on Saturday, July 6, from 10am.
Youngsters are encouraged to come along to enjoy the stories and dress up with a chance of a prize for the best costume.
During the school holiday, Altrusa is running a Leap Year Literacy Challenge for primary school-age children.
Entry forms for this can be picked up from the library or here.
Upcoming fundraising events include Fun, Frocks and Frivolity in July, and the club’s famous Home and Garden Ramble on Sunday, November 3.
For more information about Altrusa Te Awamutu projects or events, go to its website or Facebook page.
Dean Taylor is a community journalist with more than 35 years of experience and is editor of the Te Awamutu Courier and Waikato Herald.
