Opening Hearts for Books and Charity

By Melissa Marek-Donahue
Contributing Writer

If you’re reading this, there’s a good chance you already know.

But reading is an amazing thing. It makes it possible to learn from a wide and diverse set of sources, builds our ability to imagine and capacity to create, and allows us to be civically engaged in our communities. A comprehensive 2007 study by the National Endowment for the Arts entitled To Read or Not to Read stated that “regular reading not only boosts the likelihood of an individual’s academic and economic success—facts that are not especially surprising—but it also seems to awaken a person’s social and civic sense. Reading correlates with almost every measurement of positive personal and social behavior surveyed. […] Readers attend more concerts and theater than non-readers, […] exercise more and play more sports—no matter what their educational level.”

Unfortunately, the same study also noted, as others have since, that Americans are declining significantly in both the amount they read and their ability to comprehend written text.  Along with many of our other muscles, our reading muscles aren’t getting much use lately. This is particularly important for children who are still developing many of the important skills regular reading provides.

At CHARISM, a local nonprofit working with at-risk children, a large part of the programming is to help make reading happen.  From fun after-school and summer programs with daily reading activities and challenges, to a formal tutoring program teaching elementary children who are behind their peers the mechanics of how to read, to book discussions with high school students, CHARISM is making a difference in the lives of children in part by ensuring that they can be successful through the benefits of reading.

On Monday, February 13, CHARISM is teaming up with the Carlson Public Library in South Fargo and the Senior Commission to have a Read-a-Thon, hoping to highlight to the community the importance of reading, and the importance of ensuring that the at-risk children of our community are given the skills and space to develop a habit and love of reading.  The Read-a-Thon will be from 10:30 a.m. – 7:30 p.m. with the goal of 2012 cumulative minutes read by the community.  Children from the CHARISM programs will be stopping by to share their passion for books as well as the seniors who attend activities at the Clapp Park Senior Center.  Reading is important to all of us, and from the youngest to the oldest, intergenerational reading is a fun way to explore what wisdom we gain through the process of sharing books. All community members are invited to stop by and pick up a book and be part of the CHARISM Read-a-Thon.

Yet, there is more to the event than just the love of reading. It also coincides with the Dakota Medical Foundation’s Giving Hearts Day, an annual event occurring the following day. On Tuesday, February 14, the DMF will provide matching funds for donations of $10 or greater, up to $4,000 per selected participating organization. This year, there are 140 participants, over half of which are area nonprofit organizations – including CHARISM. 

On Giving Hearts Day, donors are invited to make financial gifts through the Impact Foundation website (http://www.impactgiveback.org), where the funds will be tracked so that the DMF can add their additional contributions. Along with matching the first $4,000 each organization raises, additional incentives will be given for the top-seven organizations that raise the most money on February 14, the organization with the most individual donors, the donor who gives the largest gift overall, and a variety of other fun awards. Last year, over $1.1 million was raised through over 7,000 donations for local nonprofits.

CHARISM, like many other important organizations in our community, depends on the donations of individuals and businesses to ensure that important programming continues. Giving Hearts Day is a beautiful day to make that commitment. While CHARISM is opening the hearts of many low-income and refugee children to the joys of reading, others need to open their hearts to help the organizations in the community who are working to create good things, right here at home.  Giving Hearts Day is just the opportunity where people can give from their heart and double their impact thanks to the Dakota Medical Foundation.

Please join your neighbors in sharing a book and making a donation on Giving Hearts Day.

Questions and comments:  .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

IF YOU GO:
WHAT: CHARISM Read-a-Thon:
WHEN:  Mon., Feb. 13, 10:30 a.m. – 7:30 p.m.
WHERE:  Dr. James Carlson Library
INFO: 2801 32nd Avenue South, Fargo

WHAT: Giving Hearts Day
WHEN:  Tues., Feb. 14, all day
INFO:  http://www.impactgiveback.org

[*Editor’s Note: Melissa Marek-Donahue is in Resource Development at CHARISM.]