WICOMICO PUBLIC LIBRARY RECEIVES $4500 GRANT FROM ARTHUR W. PERDUE FOUNDATION FOR SUMMER READING PROGRAM

Perdue Farms, through a $4,500 grant funded by the Arthur W. Perdue Foundation, is funding the Summer Reading Program at Wicomico Public Library. Renee Childs, left, Perdue associate relations representative, presents the grant to library associates, from left, Kelly White, Rosanne Cangialosi, and Katie Jasinski, while program participants and their parents look on.

Summer Reading has two components for families to enjoy program beginning June 25 and officially ends August 13. Part One invites kids from birth through 18 years of age to come to any of the Library’s branches and receive a Summer Reading game board. Each game board is specifically created for each age group: birth to 5 years old, 6 to 11 year olds and teens. The board provides an assortment of activities to do at home from talking and singing to your baby, reading with your child and attending teen programs. In addition to reading during the summer, part two of the program allows kids and their families can come to free events such as magic shows, a visit from your Salisbury Zoo and a fun science experiment with the Maryland Science Center’s Traveling Science Program. Sign-ups for game boards begin June 2. “Summer Reading is an important component in a child’s education.” says Library Executive Director Andrea Berstler. “Much more than just fan and games, summer reading programs address the ‘Summer Slide’. This loss of skills and knowledge causes children to lose ground in their educational progress. Studies show that by the 5th grade, children can lose 2 to3 years of educational progress, due simply to a lack of exposure to reading and educational opportunities over the summer months.”

“We believe libraries to be very important hubs of community activity and educational resources,” said Kim Nechay, executive director of the Arthur W. Perdue Foundation. “So much so that the founder of our organization, Arthur W. Perdue, started the Foundation with the singular mission of giving to libraries in our region.”

The Arthur W. Perdue Foundation, the charitable giving arm of Perdue Farms, was established in 1957 by company founder Arthur W. Perdue and is funded through the estates of Arthur W. Perdue and Frank Perdue. As part of our belief in supporting the communities where and with whom we do business, the Foundation provides grants on behalf of Perdue Farms in communities where large numbers of our associates live and work.

“The current mission of the Arthur W. Perdue Foundation is to enhance the communities in which our associates live and work. We do this by addressing a number of priorities, one of which is education. The Summer Reading Program is a special way for our missions to merge in the Salisbury community by facilitating a creative and fun way for area young people to continue to learn and be incentivized to ready during their summer vacations from school,” Nechay said.
Wicomico Public Library has locations in Downtown Salisbury, the Centre at Salisbury, in Pittsville, and the Library Bookmobile. Not only does Wicomico Public Library offer numerous resources such as free Internet access, a variety of classes and events, and an online virtual library with eBooks, but it engages the community by supporting learning, building community, and enriching lives. You Belong @ Wicomico Public Library!