Conway Kiwanis Club is distributing bookcases and starter book sets to 50 Head Start children on April 23, 2022, from 9 am to noon at the Faulkner County Library at 1900 Tyler St., Conway, ARK.
The Project enters it’s is 18th consecutive year of awarding personalized bookcases and starter sets of books. This endeavor strives to promote literacy rates among younger generations to help them succeed in their professional endeavors as they further their educations. Through the distribution of books the project is encouraging children, ages 4-5 years old, to begin reading.
The Community Action Program for Central Arkansas, CAPCA, chooses the recipients of the books cases and starter book sets and the books are donated by many local partners with the majority being donated by the Faulkner County Library and Life 10 Sunday School class at Conway First Baptist Church.
The books and bookcases aren’t the only things recipients receive. Each bookcase is labeled with nameplates for the recipient thanks to Conway Trophy and Awards who kindly makes and donates these pieces. The recipients are also given personalized bookmarks designed by Project supporter Patsy Desaulniers, a “reading buddy,” which is a stuffed animal donated by project-supporter Crystal Spellmann, and copies of “Cowboy Christmas” and “Three Little Engines” signed by authors Caryn Southerland and Bob McKinnon.
The project began in 2005 when Jim Davidson saw a need. The Kiwanis Club of Conway assumed oversight of the project in 2020, however, Davidson remains an active member of the board for the bookcase project.
Committee members for the Project include: Amanda Horton, director, Reynolds Performance Hall, University of Central Arkansas; John McGraw, director, Faulkner County Library; Charlotte Rainey Parham, assistant professor, College of Education, University of Central Arkansas; Richard
S. Plotkin, chair, Conway Kiwanis Bookcase Project; Janie Walburn, teacher, Simon Middle School, Conway; and Jennifer Welter, executive director, Community Action Program for Central Arkansas.
If interested in making a donation to the Project the Kiwanis Club of Conway has developed a “wish list” of books for the Project on Amazon.com.
Raven Nobles is the Assistant Art Walk Coordinator at The Studio Downtown. After transferring from Hendrix to the University of Central Arkansas, then a pandemic hitting, Raven has truly learned what it means to pivot and thrive in the midst of chaos. As a senior Public Relations student, her passion is cultivating lasting relationships through effective communication with those around her. In her free time, she enjoys running, writing, reading, and the more than occasional thrifting trip. – Raven is UCA chapter president of Public Relations Student Society of America – She is a member of BearsServe Leader at UCA – Connect with Raven on Instagram and LinkedIn providing public service through BearsServe Leaders and Public Relations Student Society of America.