Even with the constant presence of the internet, television, film, and the technologies that so dominate the modern world, there is no more powerful connection to the greatest thoughts and feelings of the human condition than a good book.
Gift of Reading began in 1995 when a CFUW member discovered that there were many children in St. Catharines who did not have a book at home. She summoned a small group of other like minded CFUW members & collected used children’s books for distribution – and so began CFUW Gift of Reading. For 21 years, from October to December, CFUW volunteers engaged in the Gift of Reading program, have collected, sorted, stamped and distributed thousands of books each year to provide access to books for those who may be d
enied this fundamentally important part of an enriched life.
Along with donations from corporations and members, the CFUW Gift of Reading Program bought a book for each student in 3 selected schools each year, plus supplemented the libraries in those schools. The program also provided books to over 30 social service agencies in the area. A total of about 8,000 books were given out annually to encourage literacy and educational pursuits.
With the introduction of the First Book Canada Program into the Niagara Region in the fall of 2016, Gift of Reading decided that our youth were being well serviced and there was no value in duplicating efforts. We thank all the volunteers for their dedication & service over these many years and all our club members who supported this program through their donations.
