By Kelli McAdams
The Heart of Texas Region system of care, “Our Community Our Future (OCOF),” was created in the Fall of 2015 when a committee of community stakeholders came together to look at the mental health needs of children and adolescents in our community. The intention of the “system of care” is to create new opportunities for collaboration, to discover new revenue streams and to braid funding across agencies, in an effort to identify and fill gaps in services for children, youth, and young adults in our community.
OCOF’s overall mission is “Collaborating with and connecting families through a shared community vision to provide a culturally responsive continuum of care so children, youth and young adults are supported in becoming healthy and successful in the Heart of Texas region.” Since 2015, through continued and new collaborations with community partners, OCOF has helped to establish new programs in three major area: School Based Mental Health services, Transition Age Youth services, and Youth Crisis Respite services.
School Based Mental Health services address mental health needs within the educational system. This is done by placing a counselor and case manager at individual school sites to serve the most intensive mental health needs of the children and adolescents at that school. These in-school mental health professionals make it possible for children and adolescents to receive the care they need with minimal disruption to their school day. Having the mental health professionals in the school provides for quick and easy access to a counselor or case manager during times of crisis and allows for collaboration with school staff to best meet the student’s needs. At the end of 2018, the School-Based Mental Health program had 18 mental health staff at 40 campuses across 10 school districts. The program has become a model for the area, with nearby school districts taking notice and requesting information. Multiple school districts have also demonstrated confidence in the program through financial contribution to maintain sustainability.
Transition Age Youth (TAY) services support youth and young adults, between the ages of 18-22, who are transitioning into adulthood. TAY services connect these young people to mental health services that help them to obtain stable housing, to establish healthy adult relationships, and to achieve education and employment goals. The program’s Case Manager, Supported Education and Employment Specialist, and Program Manager were also recently trained in the unique developmental needs of transition age youth, strategies to support engagement with this population, and the adapted Individual Placement and Support (IPS) model of supported employment. The TAY program currently has a caseload of approximately 30 individuals, and consistently remains at capacity.
The Youth Crisis Respite House (YCRH) is a six-bed, short-term, living-room model, respite facility for youth between the ages of 13-17 who are experiencing a mental health or behavioral health crisis. The intention is to provide respite service within our community in order to reduce the number unnecessary out-of-home placements such as juvenile placement, CPS placement, or psychiatric hospitalization. After many months of preparations and creative funding, the YCRH recently received the approval by The Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) to open the facility and begin serving youth. Since opening its doors in late March, the house has successfully served five youth and continues to receive referrals.
In addition to these services, the OCOF includes family advocates who work to make sure families have a voice in the system of care. Family partners and family representatives work alongside and support families in their journeys, and OCOF created a Parent Cafe which provides a space for parents and caregivers to gather together, share information, and support one another.
OCOF’s current community partners include:
- Bill Logue Juvenile Justice
- Central Texas Youth Services
- China Spring ISD
- The Cove
- Connally ISD
- DFPS – Child Protective Services
- Education Service Center Region 12
- Hill County Juvenile Probation Department
- Hillsboro ISD
- Klaras Center for Families – Heart of Texas Region MHMR
- LaVega ISD
- Lorena ISD
- Marlin ISD
- Midway ISD
- NAMI Waco
- Prosper Waco
- Robinson ISD
- Starry Counseling
- Unbound
- Waco ISD
- Waco Center for Youth
- Whitney ISD
- VASA / Voice
Kelli McAdams, LCSW, is the Program Director for Youth Crisis Respite House at the Heart of Texas Region MHMR. She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and has a master’s degree of Science in Social Work with a concentration in mental health as well as a bachelor’s degree in Social Work, both from the University of Texas at Arlington.
The Salvation Army of Waco and The Art Center of Waco have teamed up for the HeART of the Homeless initiative. This program is funded by City Center Waco and Creative Waco to provide for expressions of art to be created by the homeless and others who are served at The Salvation Army Community Kitchen.
Twice a week, during the dinner rush, an Art Center of Waco teaching artist prepares for evening art projects outside in the kitchen courtyard. The kitchen serves anyone in need of a meal and the art program provides the same – Anyone in need of some time to enjoy a moment of creative comfort or friendly conversation with other participants. Art projects range from expressive painting, found, donated and/or recycled items crafted into pictures or sculpture, or donated and personal items decorated with tie dye or fabric paints. A variety of art options are always available with the intention of being accessible to all ages and interests.
Art participants are always appreciative to have the opportunity to build their art experience. It is not uncommon to hear “I really needed that, thank you!” or “I made a special trip to join today.” When told artwork was going to be presented to the public, many participants became more engaged and enjoyed the idea that the public would have the opportunity to see their artwork. Please take a moment to join us to enjoy each piece and know that someone’s heart was put into their work. We can all be connected by art and the HeART of the Homeless program has drawn a creative community to the Salvation Army of Waco Community Kitchen to appreciate each other’s unique voices and experiences, inclusive of all of life’s circumstance.
To celebrate this collaboration, there will be a free public Art Exhibit Wednesday, May 15th from 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM in both the newly refreshed outdoor courtyard behind the Salvation Army of Waco Community Kitchen, and in the Art Center of Waco Mobile Art Gallery parked in the front visitor’s lot. Address for both exhibits is 300 Webster Ave., Waco, TX.
Additional viewing dates and times will be Thursday, May 16th through Sunday, May 19th from 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM. Both exhibits are free and will both be open for self-guided viewing.
For questions/details, please contact either Claire Sexton at the Art Center of Waco (254) 752-4371 or Diana Barrett, at The Salvation Army (254) 756-7271.
By Khristian Howard
If you have been around Waco for a while, you may recall “Move East Waco,” the fitness series that got East Waco up and active two summers ago. We are thrilled to announce that exciting six-week campaign for health education, fitness, and community will be back this summer to continue the impact it began in 2017. Packed with incentives, fun, and most importantly, FREE workout sessions, “Move East Waco 2019” will give you the motivation you need to begin or continue your fitness journey. This year’s series will begin on May 16th at 6:30 p.m. at Oscar DuCongé Park (1504 J.J. Flewellen) and will feature some new and familiar faces to give previews of the workouts and health lectures that will follow in the subsequent six weeks.
Success During Summer ’17 & Hopes for this Year
Move East Waco had its debut in the summer of 2017, and immediately proved to be a hit within the community. Cuevas Peacock, community organizer and co-creator of Move East Waco, shared that in 2017 they saw over 100 people attend the kickoff, and [an] average 15 people at the various workouts. This year, Cuevas and the team hope to double the participation numbers, and to implement some new tracking measures that will provide a more comprehensive report of the program’s impact. Cuevas has garnered support from several East Waco community members, many of whom were key players in the success of Move East Waco ’17. These team members include, Tara Briscoe, Victoria Calhoun, Vivian Vonner, Ashley Royal, Sandra Dorsey-Butler, and Van Davis, to name a few. Some of the main organizations represented are Grassroots Community Development, Live Well Waco, Baylor Health & Wellness, and more.
To ensure that the goal of doubling participation is met, the team has secured various incentive donations from places like, Gold’s Gym, Refit Waco, Orange Theory, Jamba Juice, Da Shack Farmer’s Market, and more. Additionally, participants can expect a wide variety of workouts and demonstrations ranging from Zumba, line dance, and hip-hop aerobics to cooking demos, healthy food budgeting classes, and stress relief exercises.
As mentioned above, this summer will mark the second installment of Move East Waco. With the help of health and fitness instructors and local businesses providing services and incentives, the program proved to be a huge success in its first installment. Still, you may be wondering, why do a health and fitness series…and why in East Waco? Cuevas Peacock gave us a glimpse into the motivation behind Move East Waco. He shared some troubling statistics about health in East Waco.
He stated, “Throughout our nation, 12% of residents report being in poor health, in Waco the number rises to 13.2%; however, in East Waco, the number grows even more to 18%. Nationally, 29% of residents are obese, but in East Waco, the number grows to a staggering 45%.” Move East Waco is a solution that Cuevas believes will be a significant factor in decreasing these numbers. “It is our belief that by increasing the amount of physical activity among the residents of East Waco we can begin to lower the high obesity rate and improve the community’s overall health.” Ultimately, Cuevas summarized the goals of the program as a way to “[demonstrate] various ways for our community to get up and get moving, along with providing access to vendors that could address various health issues…[along] with the hope to Move East Waco towards adopting a healthier lifestyle.”
We Want to See You There!
This year’s kickoff event will begin at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 16th, at Oscar DuCongé Park Park in East Waco (1504 J.J. Flewellen), next door to G. W. Carver Middle School. There you will be able to learn easy fitness practices that can be practiced at home. Additionally, this kickoff will give you a preview of each instructor who will be heading up classes throughout the rest of the program. Classes will be held on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6:30 p.m. from May 21st to June 27th. Do not hesitate to take advantage of free access to health and fitness materials provided by local professionals – and access to great giveaways that can assist you in living a healthier, fuller lifestyle. Join us as we “Move East Waco” closer to maximum wellbeing!
Click here for “Move East Waco 2019 Schedule
Khristian Howard is an Atlanta native and a recent graduate of Georgia State University where she earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work. She has a passion for empowering communities through service, and seeks to connect advocacy to creativity. Currently, she is serving as the AmeriCorps VISTA for Texas Hunger Initiative Waco, where her work focuses on fostering collective impact to improve health and eating habits in East Waco. When she is not working, you may find her sharpening her culinary skills or exploring new poetic and artistic pathways.
The Act Locally Waco blog publishes posts with a connection to these aspirations for Waco. If you are interested in writing for the Act Locally Waco Blog, please email [email protected] for more information.
Press Release
Bringing educators, mental health providers and others together to learn and take actionable steps to save lives, regarding what is considered “the preventable epidemic” among American youth, is the focus of the 14th Annual Teen Suicide Prevention Symposium.
Education Service Center (ESC) Region 12, Cedar Crest Residential Treatment Center (Platinum Sponsor), Providence Ascension Healthcare Network (Gold Sponsor), and the Methodist Children’s Home (Gold Sponsor) will present the symposium 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Thursday, June 13 at ESC Region 12, 2101 W. Loop 340 in Waco.
Medical and mental health speakers will share research and strategies for helping youth who struggle with suicidal ideation.
According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, an average of one person dies by suicide every 13.7 minutes in the U.S with more than 120 people dying by suicide each day.
Jenipher Janek, ESC Region 12 counseling specialist and regional crisis response team leader, says social media continues to be a factor in teen suicide, but efforts to raise awareness about healthy practices and reporting options are making a difference in Central Texas schools.
“We are seeing an increase in the need for suicide prevention and intervention in our region and in our state. This event offers an opportunity to come together and discuss ways that we may be more effective and collaborative in our efforts to keep our kids safe.”
In addition to the speakers and panel, several organizations will provide resources in an effort to bridge the gap between education and mental health services.
“Schools are struggling to find and make connections with resources in the community,” Janek said. “If we can provide a collaborative place for making that less difficult, we’d really like to do that. Our kids are depending on us.”
More than 35 participants from schools and other entities are registered and additional seats are available. The symposium is $90 to attend and includes a light breakfast and lunch. Registration is available at www.esc12.net.
By Ashley Bean Thornton
The City of Waco is diligently working on applications for grants that would help pay for walking and biking infrastructure for Waco, particularly in areas near our public schools. These are huge grants from Texas Department of Transportation’s 2019 Call for Projects for both the Safe Route to School (SRTS) Program and Transportation Alternatives (TA) Program.
A successful grant application could mean hundreds of thousands of dollars for our community specifically earmarked for sidewalk and bike/walk improvements.
They need our help! An important part of the application will be letters of support from the community.
Jim Reed, Capital Improvement Program Manager with City of Waco Public Works, is managing the grant application process. He says, “Your letter would make a big difference in the success of our efforts. The State review committee asks all letters to written from your heart. The review committee loves it to be personal. Please share this request with your neighbors. All letters received shall be incorporated into our applications.”
See below for the list of possible projects. Please take just a few minutes to write a quick, heartfelt email supporting one or more of these projects. If you live in one of these neighborhoods, have kids in one of these schools, teach at one of these schools or have any personal connection at all – your letter could be especially valuable for this process. Just a few sentences explaining your connection and why you think the project is important, could make a huge difference to our efforts to win this grant! Even one or two sentences could help.
This is a quick and easy way to make a positive difference in our community.
Please send your email by May 15 to Jim Reed: [email protected].
List of Possible Projects:
- Alta Vista
- Cesar Chavez
- Indian Spring Middle School
- J. H. Hines Elementary
- Provident Heights Elementary
- South Waco Elementary
- Cedar Ridge Neighborhood
- Mars Drive
- MKT (railroad conversion) East Waco
This Act Locally Waco blog post is by Ashley Bean Thornton, she has lived in Waco almost 20 years now. Far longer than she ever lived anywhere else. She likes to walk. If you see her out walking, honk and wave and say, “Hi!”
The Act Locally Waco blog publishes posts with a connection to these aspirations for Waco. If you are interested in writing for the Act Locally Waco Blog, please email [email protected] for more information.
As part of the 27th annual “Stamp-Out Hunger” food drive, McLennan County, Texas, letter carriers will be joining forces with the National Association of Letter Carriers on Saturday, May 11th, for the largest one-day food drive in the nation. The drive assists millions of families in the United States who are struggling to put food on their tables every day. In the Waco-McLennan County area, letter carriers will be collecting non-perishable food donations to help people served by Caritas of Waco, the Salvation Army and Shepherd’s Heart Food Pantry. This drive is one way people can assist those in their own city who need help.
This year Wal-mart is partnering with “Stamp-Out Hunger” by providing paper bags that letter carriers will leave at each mailbox prior to May 11th and which can be used for food donations.
To participate in the “Stamp-Out Hunger” Food Drive, households are encouraged to place non-perishable food items such as canned vegetables, canned meats, pasta/sauces, rice, cereal, peanut butter, dry beans, rice, macaroni & cheese, baby food, etc., in bags and leave them next to their mailbox prior to their regular mail delivery time on Saturday, May 11. Letter carriers will then collect these food donations as they deliver the mail and will provide them to Caritas, the Salvation Army and Shepherd’s Heart Food Pantry for distribution to people in need.
In the past, letter carriers in the Waco-McLennan County area have collected over 50,000 pounds of non-perishable food which makes this drive one of the largest food collection efforts in the community.
For more information, call Jerrod Perry, United States Postal Service, at 254-709-1094.
The “Stamp-Out Hunger” Food Drive takes place this Saturday, May 11th. All that you need to do is to place non-perishable food items, such as canned vegetables, canned meats, cereal, peanut butter, etc., in the Walmart paper bag left by your letter carrier and place it next to your mailbox prior to your regular mail delivery time on Saturday. Letter carriers will collect these food donations as they deliver the mail and will provide them to Caritas, the Salvation Army and Shepherd’s Heart Food Pantry for distribution to people in need. Thanks for your help!
By Cheyenne Atchison
Thirty-six percent of students at 66 surveyed colleges and universities do not have enough to eat, according to a Temple University and Wisconsin HOPE Lab study. Food insecurity among college students is a growing concern across the United States, and universities are working to find solutions to address this problem.
McLennan Community College is fighting food insecurity with Paulanne’s Pantry, a campus food pantry that provides meat, produce, canned and other nonperishable items to MCC students and faculty in need. As the associate director of MCC’s Completion Center, Letitia Monsey oversees the pantry. Before coming to Waco in 2017 to be closer to family, she worked at the University of Texas at Austin – a different campus experience than MCC.
“People go to a community college for different reasons,” Monsey said. “At UT, a bachelor’s degree was always the end goal. Here, there is a lot more diversity in the student body, which is what I was looking for.”
Many of the services provided by the Completion Center were also offered at UT, but in multiple offices rather than one. Since Monsey first came to MCC, changes have been made to allow Completion Center staff to allocate their time and resources to specific projects, such as the food pantry.
The earliest records of an MCC food pantry date back to 2007. At one point, it may have been housed in a staff member’s office. It was later reopened, and by 2015, it moved to its current location in the Completion Center. The next goal was to secure finances and use a standard budget for long-term sustainability.
As more students started using the pantry, the Completion Center staff found that issues concerning academic performance and attendance were related to food insecurity. Some students dropping out of school said they needed more time to work so they could purchase food. Conversely, some students may have spent all their money on food, forfeiting other payments for electricity or water bills, which could also lead to decreased attendance.
“We found so many students that had a need,” Monsey said. “When we had students sit in our offices, we could build enough trust to learn that they didn’t have food. It was having those conversations that allowed us to give them what they needed.”
Most of the food provided in the pantry comes from the Central Texas Food Bank. MCC established that partnership prior to 2017. MCC places an online order for the food, then twice a month, the Completion Center staff along with interns from the Tarleton State University social work program pick up the order from Acts Church. The food is then unloaded and organized in the pantry. Each load weighs between 1,200 and 1,900 pounds and averages around $250 at the discounted rate provided by the food bank. The MCC Foundation handles the food pantry fund and provides the funds to purchase food.
For daily operations, the Completion Center staff will check students in, walk them through the process, and stock the pantry shelves, along with a handful of volunteers from around campus. Volunteers must be trained in handling sensitive topics and student privacy.
When the building was due for a renovation, the pantry was expanded and received a $5,700 grant from the Texas Higher Education Foundation, which provided the funds to improve the check-in process and purchase a new refrigerator and freezer. With the ability to hold more produce and proteins, and some decorations, the pantry is now more accommodating and welcoming. It was reopened and renamed “Paulanne’s Pantry” last month in honor of Paulanne Ream Hoover, who left a portion of her estate to fund an endowment for the pantry.
As for the future of the pantry, Monsey wants to continue to serve the students and faculty of MCC, but she hopes there will eventually come a day when their help is no longer needed.
“Ideally, society will answer the problem to the point that we don’t need the pantry,” Monsey said. “Until then, we will continue to serve students and meet their needs. Right now, we’re at a good pace of what we have: we anticipate need, and we meet it. I want to sustain that.”
The Completion Center serves as a resource to provide the additional help students need to be successful. The purpose is to remove obstacles that hinder a student’s ability to progress and complete their goals. Like an intake center, the staff at the Completion Center talks with students to pinpoint areas of distress and find the right resources in a compassionate way.
“That’s where we’re different from other offices on campus,” Monsey said. “They are very distinct in what they do, we do whatever needs to be done to help the student. We take a holistic view of other things that are needed to complete the degree.”
To make a financial donation to Paulanne’s Pantry, contact the MCC Foundation at 254-299-8606 or email Kim Patterson at [email protected].
Cheyenne Atchison is a junior at Baylor University studying Marketing and Public Relations, and currently serves as an intern in the Marketing and Communications Department at McLennan Community College.
The Act Locally Waco blog publishes posts with a connection to these aspirations for Waco. If you are interested in writing for the Act Locally Waco Blog, please email [email protected] for more information.
By Christine Miller
The month of May is National Bike Month. This is Waco’s second year promoting and hosting community events to highlight and celebrate the possibilities of the bicycle and the many reasons we ride. National Bike Month is a shared experience by all communities, #BikeJoy, to build a more Bicycle Friendly America for everyone.
How to Participate during Bike Month within Our Community
May 8 & 22: Bike with a Ranger – City of Waco Parks and Recreation – Park Ranger guided tour along the Riverwalk in Downtown Waco. Will highlight historical facts about Waco’s river corridor and landmarks along the route. Please meet by 6PM at the Suspension Bridge.
May 15: Ride of Silence – Waco Bicycle Club (Website: https://wacobicycleclub.com/) – A nation-wide, silent procession to honor cyclists who have been killed or injured while cycling on public roadways. Will include a reading of the Ride of Silence Poem, remembrance of local cyclists killed, and then a silent ride for about 6 to 8 miles. Meet at 6PM at City Hall fountain, located at Austin Avenue & N 3rd Street.
May 31: Critical Mass Community Bike Ride – Critical Mass Waco (Website: https://www.facebook.com/groups/47057872309/) – Critical Mass Waco leads a community bike ride the last Friday of every month. Celebrate National Bike Month with Waco’s cycling community. Meet at 6PM at City Hall fountain, located at Austin Avenue & N 3rd Street.
Waco – Becoming More Bicycle Friendly One Year at a Time
A couple years ago, the Waco Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) issued an online survey about citizen’s transportation and travel habits including cycling as a mode of transportation. Two of the most common reasons that created hesitation for Wacoans to choose cycling over driving a car included:
- Knowledge of safe routes to ride
- Lack of bicycle lanes or paths separated from vehicle traffic to provide a more comfortable route
In 2018 the City of Waco was awarded an honorable mention as a Bicycle Friendly Community from the League of American Bicyclists. City and MPO staff and the active cycling community have been diligently working on multiple projects to continue to improve Waco’s bicycle culture and infrastructure for citizens and visitors alike.
How to Know the Best Roads and Routes to Ride around Waco
The City of Waco, the Waco Metropolitan Planning Organization and the Waco Bicycle Club came together over the past year to develop a map of the best roads and routes for riding your bike throughout Waco as a local or as a tourist. These identified streets have a natural inclination to be more bicycle friendly than others and are as direct as possible to key destinations – parks and community centers, schools, shops and business centers. In conjunction with the Convention and Visitors Bureau the first “Cycling in Waco” map is printed and ready for you to use.
You can pick up a free, printed map at the Tourist Information Center (At the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame, 106 Texas Ranger Trail), at the Waco Parks and Recreation Department (201 W. Waco Drive) and at the Waco Convention Center (100 Washington Avenue). You may even find it at your local bicycle shop.
The Cycling in Waco map is also available online at: https://wacoheartoftexas.com/plan/visitors-guide-and-map/
More Bicycle Lanes and Shared-Use Paths are on the Horizon
This is the first year that new bicycle infrastructure will begin to be signed and striped on our Waco streets in many years. In conjunction with the City’s Pavement Maintenance Program and previously awarded federally funded grant projects new bicycle infrastructure will soon be on:
- Lake Shore Drive from Wooded Acres Drive to N 19th Street
- MacArthur Drive from McFerrin Avenue to Alexander Avenue
- S 26th Street from Clay Avenue to Bagby Avenue
- Elm Avenue from Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard to Forrest Street
- 11th/12th Streets from Downtown Waco to Garden Drive
- Washington Avenue from University Parks Drive to N 18th Street
- Londonderry Drive from New Sanger Road to Old McGregor Road
- Herring Avenue from N 4th Street to N 15th A Street
- Colcord Avenue from N 5th Street to N 18th Street
City staff are applying this year to federally funded grant programs with emphasis on multi-modal transportation to include a shared-use path on Mars Drive near Midway Middle and High Schools and a multi-purpose trail along the former Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad right of way in East Waco. The City is also applying to Safe Routes to School federal grants which if awarded will include infrastructure improvements for school-aged bicyclists and pedestrians in future years to come.
Bicycle and Scooter Share Pilot Program
A year-long planning and design process is finally wrapping up and Waco will soon have a bicycle and scooter share pilot program. Expect to see electric-assist bicycles and scooters in the Greater Downtown in June this year. Ride a scooter to your favorite place for a bite to eat in downtown. Take a sunset bike ride along the Riverwalk before you head home for the night. Be a tourist for a day, leave your car behind and enjoy the various local favorites and hot-spots via a bike or scooter. The City looks forward to seeing all of you taking part in this new way to get around town.
Christine Miller is a traffic engineer in training for the City of Waco Public Works Department. She has been with the City of Waco since 2015 and has been directly involved in improving the infrastructure for the bicycle and pedestrian community. Though she is not an avid cyclist yet, she does own a bicycle and takes it out on fair weather weekends to the Cottonbelt Trail and the Riverwalk and to trail systems in Round Rock and Austin. Maybe you’ll see her at one of the scheduled Bike Month rides. She’ll happily chat about genealogy, the Women’s World Cup coming up this June, and the changes that are occurring in Waco.
April 29 through May 5,2019 marks the 100th anniversary of Children’s Book Week. The 100th Anniversary theme — Read Now ∙ Read Forever – looks to the past, present, and most important, the future of children’s books. Grab a kid, grab a book and read together this week! And every week! And every day! — ALW
By Jessica Emmett
Everyone has a favorite children’s book. Whether you love Dr. Seuss, Goodnight Moon or Brown Bear, Brown Bear, you probably get the warm fuzzies when you think about some book from your childhood. Children’s books are the gateway to becoming lifelong learners and lifelong readers, and the standards are high. For a book to end up in your school, your library or your hands, lots of people have to think it’s pretty great (and it helps if it gives someone the warm fuzzies, too).
This week we have been celebrating Children’s Book Week with fun activities and ideas to help get kids in Waco excited about reading!
Children’s Book Week
In 1919, librarians, editors, booksellers and Boy Scouts decided to start a literacy initiative to promote reading among young people in the United States. In 1944, the Children’s Book Council assumed responsibility for running Children’s Book Week, an event that connects libraries, bookstores, schools and homes—anywhere where young readers are reading.
Today, Children’s Book Week is the longest running national literacy initiative in the country. Over 1,300 libraries, bookstores and schools host events to celebrate the week. This year is the 100th anniversary of the first Children’s Book Week, so we can celebrate all year long. The theme this year is Read Now • Read Forever.
Why Read?
Getting kids to read helps expand their vocabularies. Learning new words helps young brains develop just like exercise helps their bodies. It’s like mental cross-training! Better readers are better writers, so reading all those books can lead to strong job skills along with a life-long love of James and the Giant Peach.
Reading is a great way to experience other cultures, too. Kids can learn about places they’d like to visit and about the unique history and people who live there. What a great way to start conversations and inspire a new generation of travelers!
Learning about history, science and how the world works can inspire innovation and creativity. When kids read books, they walk away with brand new ideas and ways to solve problems.
One of the best side-effects of reading is developing a great imagination! When kids learn what might be—instead of being limited to the things they can see—they dream bigger. Think about Harold and his purple crayon… Imagination is magic!
How Can You Help?
Inspiring young people to become readers is everyone’s responsibility. Reading to kids is the obvious way to share books with them, but it’s not the only one. Be a great role model by reading for work or for fun. Kids absorb and mimic your behavior, so reading inspires them in a positive way.
Bring kids to the library regularly to encourage them to value reading, sharing and community resources. While you’re there, take a trip to the children’s department to see if we have your favorite book. Take a little time to pass it on to a young person in your life. The books of your childhood help tell your story in the best words possible.
If you don’t have a favorite childhood book, or you’d like to discover something new, just ask us. Our librarians have amazing suggestions for the best books. They know the classics and what’s new, so you might discover a new favorite.
Be sure to sign up for Library News emails to get book recommendations, too!
What’s Happening?
The Children’s Book Week event is a nationwide party for our favorite children’s books, and part of it takes place at your Waco Library! On Wednesday we had a carnival at West Library and participants made up stories to share with their friends. We had a book walk game and gave out fabulous prizes (books!) On Friday, we’re having a Rainbow Fish party at South Waco Library! Hear the classic story, make a snack and something crafty, too.
Of course, every day, we have books for you to read and enjoy. Everyone age 5 and over can get their own library card. You can even register for a card online and swing by the library to pick it up!
So, cross the bridge to Terabithia and join us where the wild things are April 29 through May 3 and we promise, you won’t have a terrible, horrible, no good very bad day.
The Rainbow Fish party is May 3 at 4 PM at the South Waco Library (2737 S. 18th St.)
For more information about online card registration, Library News emails and Library programs (including Summer Reading Club) be sure to visit wacolibrary.org.
Jessica Emmett is the Community Services Supervisor for the Waco-McLennan County Library. She loves “preaching the gospel of the library” and has been doing marketing, promotion and outreach for the Waco Library for almost three years. Before joining the Library team, Jessica worked for a decade in public education, as an aide, teacher and librarian. She loves how her job lets her teach people of all ages about something she loves—the library!
Jessica enjoys lots of hobbies, including cooking, disc golf and running. She loves to read (of course) and usually has three or four books open at a time. When she’s not doing outreach, Jessica spends a lot of time in a very lonely office, so be sure to say “hi” if you see the Library table at your next Waco event!
The Act Locally Waco blog publishes posts with a connection to these aspirations for Waco. If you are interested in writing for the Act Locally Waco Blog, please email [email protected] for more information.