United Way sponsors Day of Caring Bookworm Project

By KATIE LEFEBVRE, Globe staff reporter
September 4, 2003

The United Way's Day of Caring Project brought the Bookworm Project to Sioux City area schools with a kick-off on Aug. 27.

This project promotes literacy, endorses business' involvement in local schools and encourages children to care about themselves as well as others.

"I personally have been involved with United Way for eight years," said Liz Determan of Lawrence & Schiller. "I have done past Day of Caring projects. The Bookworm Project is complimenting it, where we are not going out to specific agencies. My company gets very involved - both in Sioux Falls and in Sioux City. We like to get involved with the community and help wherever we can."

On Aug. 27, volunteers from area businesses visited pre-assigned first grade classrooms. The schools that participated were Holy Family School of the Catholic Schools of Sioux City, Everett and Roosevelt Elementary Schools of Sioux City, Sergeant Bluff Primary School in Sergeant Bluff, Covington and Harney School of South Sioux City and Dakota Valley Elementary School of North Sioux City.

"It's a great way to bring businesses into the schools to see what we're doing and be in contact with these little kids," said Beth Calhoun, principal for Holy Family Schools. "I said, 'there's nothing greater than a little first grader.' They are wonderful. We are hoping that because of this, absolutely we are going to promote literacy, but maybe it will also be a continuation of working with these companies."

The area businesses volunteering were CableONE, Dakota County State Bank, First Federal Bank, First National Bank, IBP/Tyson, Interbake Foods, KCAU-TV, Lawrence &Schiller, MCI, Prince Manufacturing, Target Stores, Williams Pipeline and WIT. There are a total of 105 volunteers from the businesses. The staff coordinator from United Way, Regis Garvey, brought together the different businesses and the schools involved in the project.

"It gives us a chance to get involved with the community and show that Target is part of Sioux City ," said Mike Carrigan, a manager at Target. "It means a lot to us."

The volunteers were given canvas book bags and activity books to distribute to each first grade student at the school they were assigned. The bags contained the activity book, a bookmark with a listing of sponsoring businesses, a pencil, a marker and a box of crayons.

"I think it helps me personally see how the United Way Agencies dollars are put to use, also how those who are helped by United Way - the families, the parents, who have children in these schools - and how they interact with community members and how they learn and process things in schools and how the teachers interact. That is nice to see," said Determan.

The activity book titled, My Caring...That's What Matters, talked about the children caring for themselves, their family and others. The volunteers, together with the students, read and completed the activities in the book.

"It tells them who they care about in the community - their parents, country," said Carrigan. "It gives them a chance to draw their family and discuss who they care about."

At Holy Family School, St. Boniface Center, the first graders met with their volunteers to complete their books from 10 to 10:45 a.m. The first grade teachers facilitated the activity and the volunteers helped the students complete their activity books.

At the end of their time, the first graders in one classroom sang a song to the volunteers about coming together to learn about God and thanking the volunteers for sharing their time.

"This is wonderful," said Calhoun. "This doesn't have to be the end of it, if these companies want to continue helping. Karen Oetken, who came from Williams Pipeline, she told me that they would like to donate school supplies or anything we might need. That's great.

"It's great to have them read to the kids or donate their time. It doesn't always have to be money, money, money."