Here Comes Bertie Bear ....

Mindful of our mission in literacy, our club conceived a plan to bring stories to young children to help open the world of books for them at an early age thereby enriching their lives and opportunities for their success in the future.

“Bertie Bear Literacy Program” is a fun, rewarding experience that allows volunteer members of our club to be guest readers in local Head Start classrooms, taking along a very popular 3 ½ foot stuffed bear named Bertie. “Bertie loves story time,” we tell the children. We read a story about a bear, donate the book to the classroom, plus give them coloring books with a story about Bertie Bear on its pages. This program has proven very popular with Head Start area teachers, the kids we read to, and extremely rewarding for our members.

Cowlitz County suffers from a high unemployment rate, significant high school drop-out rates, and many children qualify for Head Start assistance. Three of our members are teachers and know firsthand the joy that books can bring to youngsters just discovering stories. They are also very aware of the lack of reading done in many area children’s homes.

Virtually every member of our club has been involved in this project in some way. Many of us are done raising our children so spending a hour or two with these youngsters and their vivid imaginations and boundless energy makes us all feel younger too, so it is a win-win situation in our minds. If you wish to donate funds to help us purchase books and coloring books, please click the email link below and contact us.

And if you get a chance, read a goodnight story aloud to a child in your life tonight.