[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 184 (Sunday, October 25, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Page S6592]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             RECOGNIZING THE CHILDREN'S LITERACY FOUNDATION

  Mr. LEAHY. Madam President, I would like to call attention to the 
important work done by the Children's Literacy Foundation--CLiF--a 
Waterbury Center, VT, based organization that was established in 1998 
to address children's literacy in Vermont and New Hampshire. CLiF's 
founder, Duncan McDougall, set out to improve access to books and other 
learning resources for children in low-income, at-risk, and rural 
communities through a diverse set of programs, from story-telling 
events with authors to partnerships with elementary schools to 
distribute books to students. Over the last 22 years, the foundation 
has touched the lives of thousands of children in Vermont and New 
Hampshire.
  As schools in Vermont have opened their doors in a more limited 
capacity this fall, learning has become more difficult for many 
students, and access to books at home has become even more critical. 
Luckily, CLiF quickly moved to address this new challenge. Since March, 
the foundation has partnered with schools and libraries to fill some of 
the gap left by remote learning, distributing 40,000 books across our 
two States, and facilitating remote and in-person literacy workshops 
and story-telling events. Not only has this been beneficial for 
children, but it has helped parents as well, many of whom are 
simultaneously juggling teaching, and working full-time. As a father 
and a grandfather, I truly understand the importance of access to books 
in the home, and I am truly grateful for the efforts made by Mr. 
McDougall and the rest of the team at the Children's Literacy 
Foundation to make books more available for students in Vermont and New 
Hampshire.
  Reading is, as they say, fundamental, and I often think of my days 
visiting Kellogg Hubbard in Montpelier when I was growing up. Providing 
children the resources and tools to grow in their reading journeys is 
providing them a lifelong tool for success.
  The Children Literacy Foundation was recently featured in an article 
in Vermont's ``Seven Days.'' I ask unanimous consent that the article, 
``Waterbury Literacy Nonprofit Distributes 40,000 Kids' Books During 
Pandemic,'' be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

                   [From Seven Days, Sept. 30, 2020]

  Waterbury Literacy Nonprofit Distributes 40,000 Kids' Books During 
                                Pandemic

                          (By Sasha Goldstein)

       Anyone with kids knows how difficult WFH life can be during 
     a pandemic. But a local nonprofit has tried to make things a 
     bit easier for families.
       Since March, the Waterbury Center-based Children's Literacy 
     Foundation has given away nearly 40,000 books to kids across 
     Vermont and New Hampshire. The gesture is all the more 
     important at a time when kids have been isolated and soaking 
     up screen time, said Erika Nichols-Frazer, the foundation's 
     communications manager.
       ``Our program partners have gotten really creative with 
     it,'' Nichols-Frazer said. ``Some of them send books home in 
     meal packages or with other learning materials; others have 
     done curbside pickup . . . So we're making sure we're still 
     getting them books at this time, which is obviously more 
     important than ever.''
       The foundation's mission, according to its website, ``is to 
     inspire a love of reading and writing among low-income, at-
     risk, and rural children up to age 12.'' Nichols-Frazer said 
     the pandemic has made that a more urgent undertaking. Such 
     groups of kids are the most likely to fall behind when they 
     aren't in school or are learning remotely.
       Earlier this month, the foundation launched its Year of the 
     Book program and donated $25,000 to schools in Chelsea, 
     Windsor, Danby and Clarendon, as well as J.J. Flynn 
     Elementary School in Burlington. Each student at those 
     schools will receive 10 new books they may keep and will 
     participate in virtual and in-person readings and workshops 
     with local authors and illustrators. The school libraries, 
     classrooms and even the local community libraries will each 
     receive cash to buy new books, Nichols-Frazer said.
       Despite the pandemic, she said, a group of volunteers in 
     the Waterbury area has continued to help put nameplate 
     stickers in each book so the kids can personalize their 
     reading materials. ``It might sound small, but it's an 
     important thing for these kids to own books,'' Nichols-Frazer 
     said. ``A lot of the kids we work with don't have their own 
     books, and so having that little sticker in there that says 
     `This is my book' is kind of a special thing for them.''

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