Literacy Campaign: Dignitaries join First 5 LA at East L.A. Library

HOT 92.3 radio DJ and Read Early, Read Aloud spokeswoman Josefa Salinas also read to the children and encouraged parents to increase the number of books in their homes. A key message was to give books as gifts for the holidays.

Martinez and Molina also presented First 5 LA's 2008 Champions for Children Award to Penny Markey, the library administrator coordinating Youth Services and Cultural Programming with the County of Los Angeles Public Library. Markey oversees 89 county libraries and has been the coordinator since 1980. She instituted the Begin at the Beginning with Books programs, in which bilingual library employees brought books and parenting information into the clinics where low-income women receive care during their pregnancy.

Markey also received an over-sized check from First 5 LA for a $1 million grant. The check represents part of a First 5 LA initiative to develop 20 Family Place Centers, which promote early childhood literacy activities in libraries and provide resources to families. The Family Place Centers are part of the Best Start LA initiative.

"We are delighted to be partnering with First 5 LA," said Penny Markey. "Coming together around the mutual goal of encouraging young children to read can have a powerful impact on the community."

All participating children received a bag filled with healthy snacks, two free books and a literacy related growth chart from Reading is Fundamental and First 5 LA. One of the major challenges facing schools today is that so many students have poor literacy skills. Child development experts say reading aloud to children in any language before they start school, better prepares them for academic achievement.

Click here to see photo's from the event.

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