GREAT FALLS — When families are struggling to afford food and other necessities, buying books may simply not be possible.
KRTV’s “If You Give a Child a Book…” campaign is working to change that for students at Whittier Elementary School—and donations will go twice as far during Matching Blitz Days on Tuesday and Wednesday.
KRTV will host a live telethon Wednesday from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Click here to donate.
The telethon will also feature some familiar faces from KRTV’s past. Former KRTV employees are joining the campaign by sharing their favorite childhood books and explaining how reading has shaped their lives.
WATCH: Book campaign comes to Whittier
The realities facing Whittier families
Whittier is a Title I school where 99% of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals. Librarian Tara Hagins said many children face food insecurity, trauma and instability outside the classroom.
“When you’re buying food and you have no other money, a book isn’t on your list,” Hagins said. “So a lot of our students do not have reading material at home.”
Principal Franklin Gilbert described Whittier as a community hub that provides education, mental-health support and a fully functioning food pantry. The school also sends food home with students each week.
“When you hear 99% free and reduced, that’s poverty,” Gilbert said. “And so that just comes with really a lack of resources.”
Building libraries at home
The “If You Give a Child a Book…” campaign raises money through the Scripps Howard Fund to help close one of those resource gaps.
The goal is to provide each student at Whittier to select 10 new books to take home and keep.
Hagins said some students proudly talk about their home libraries—even when those libraries contain only two books.
“We want our kids to have every benefit they can have, every chance that other kids get,” Hagins said. “Books for them—that’s a huge part of what we try to do in here.”
Giving students the freedom to select their own books is also an important part of the campaign. Hagins said children are more invested in reading when they can choose books that match their interests.
“It’s theirs. They want it. They own it, and they read them,” she said. “Choice is humongous.”
Finding the right book
The enthusiasm is already there. Sixth-grader Jada McDanal said she only recently discovered how much she enjoys reading after picking up a hunter-safety book.
“You could just get lost in the books, and it’s like a whole other world,” McDanal said.
First-grader Bri Sandoval loves reading about dogs—especially the “Pig the Pug” series.
Reading “makes me feel real good,” Sandoval said. “Because I like learning about dogs and pugs and everything.”
Gilbert said providing books will give families the opportunity to read together at home while helping students develop their vocabulary and foundational reading skills.
“When we have those books getting into our kids’ hands, it’s really going to do a lot for them,” Gilbert said. “They’re going to see a community that really supports them, their learning and really their future—where they’re headed next.”
How to help
This is the fourth year of KRTV’s campaign in Great Falls. Previous partner schools have included West Elementary, Chief Joseph Elementary and Sunnyside Elementary.
The campaign continues through Friday, September 11, but donations made during Tuesday and Wednesday’s Matching Blitz Days will have twice the impact.
Help put new books into the hands and homes of Whittier students by donating at KRTV.com/GiveABook.
