We are happy to report that our Read & Feed program was a great success for our seventh year! We registered 19 second and third grade readers from area elementary schools who had been identified as needing assistance with reading. We hoped to “jump-start” their fall schooling by providing them with four mornings of reading experiences as well as food for breakfast and lunch.

We used most of our church to have the students read to us or to trained dogs, to have us read to them, to play word games, to sing songs and play games using music, to create various arts and craft projects, and to have lots of fun! We used our new kitchen to serve them breakfast and lunch the days they were here. We sent food home for them and their siblings for the next several days. We also sent them home with books that were contributed by the congregation.

Parents were overwhelmingly positive about the program. All of the students were excited and enthused to participate. The reading specialists at the various elementary schools have indicated that we are making a positive difference!

We want to thank the MANY volunteers from our church and St. Jude’s who made this outreach possible. Thank you to our congregation for their support of our mission budget that enables this type of outreach. We also want to thank Jet’s Pizza and Uncle Ray’s Dairyland for contributing the food for our final lunch; it was a huge hit with the students!