On the afternoon of December 10, between the hours of noon and 6 p.m. the Kamsack Family Resource Centre, (KFRC) located at 241 Second Street, Kamsack, will be hosting a free book giveaway for local families thanks to a donation of an entire crate of high-quality, brand new books.
“These books are absolutely amazing. They would make wonderful Christmas gifts,” said Andrea Verigin of the KFRC. “And all of the books are age appropriate for children from pre-K to Grade two.”
Everyone is invited to attend the pop-up book event – including parents, grandparents, cousins, aunts, and uncles.
“We have plenty to give away,” said KFRC’s Megan Holodniuk. “For those who are on a fixed income that are worried about 小蓝视频 able to afford putting gifts under the tree this year, please come down to the centre and pick out some special book gifts without the stress of spending money.”
KFRC has held membership with First Book Canada for four years. Staff members, Verigin and Holodniuk typically make the annual trip to Regina to pick up as many as 250 books to give away to lucky Kamsack families. This year, because the centre hosted a successful food bank meal program, they were eligible to take part in an initiative offered by Read On Canada! – a coalition partnering with food banks to give away more than 140,000 books in 150 communities across Canada.
Instead of picking up the usual 200-plus books in Regina this year, the KFRC staff were surprised and delighted that they had qualified to receive a full crate consisting of over 1,000 books. Unable to handle that size of a load, Verigin and Holodniuk had to make alternate arrangements for the massive delivery.
“We are so grateful for Raymond Reiben at The Source in Kamsack,” offered Verigin. “He kindly offered the use of his shipping dock so we could have the huge crate of books delivered.”
Among the selection of books to be given away on Friday afternoon are beautifully illustrated children’s fiction books, activity learning books in a variety of school subjects for pre-K to Grade four, workbooks featuring popular Disney and Pixar characters, and sturdy picture books appropriate for toddlers.
First Book Canada was named as a Top 10 Canadian Impact Charity in 2020 by Charity Intelligence Canada. The organization is run by a team of volunteers. On the organization’s website, it is stated that almost 25 per cent of Canadian households don’t have a single book. Low literacy levels place children at a disadvantage that perpetuates poverty.
Verigin and Holodniuk said they are so grateful the work done by the First Book Canada team that they intend on planning a fundraiser in the near future that will help give back and support the organization.
For those attending the free pop-up book event, masks will be mandatory and all COVID-19 precautions will be in place.
