In honor of National Reading Month, the Berrien County Great Start Parent Coalition is collecting gently used books throughout the month of March.  The books will be donated to various literacy programs in Berrien County, including the Benton Harbor Sunrise Rotary’s Red Wagon Program. Drop boxes can be found at all Chemical Bank locations in Berrien County.

The Berrien County Great Start Parent Coalition is a parent driven group that focuses on early childhood development. The coalition has a special interest in early literacy, which made coordinating a book drive an easy decision.

“A love of reading is the best gift that you can give a child,” said Amy Mitchell, Great Start parent liaison and leader of the Parent Coalition. “Countless studies show that literacy not only impacts a child’s reading and academic skills, but also supports the development of social and interpersonal skills. And early literacy is shown to have a significant impact on reducing chronic generational poverty.”

But not all children have access to books. Programs like the Red Wagon strive to put free books in the homes of children whose families can’t afford them  “We need to do whatever we can to break down that barrier,” said Mitchell, “and we’re excited to partner with the Benton Harbor Sunrise Rotary and Chemical Bank to do just that.”

For a full list of drop locations, or to find out how you can get involved in the Berrien County Great Start Parent Coalition, visit www.greatstart berrien.org.