Caring Causes: Read to Feed

Heifer International, the global hunger and poverty charity, has a fun and fulfilling way for teachers to enliven their class’s reading efforts this school year. Read to Feed is a powerful reading incentive program that also fosters in children a passion for helping others.
 

Ddeveloping a child’s reading ability, especially in the early years, is critical to that child’s future success. Teachers must constantly find new ways to motivate children to press forward with their reading efforts. Read to Feed melds the exciting work of Heifer International worldwide with specific reading goals. In Read to Feed, children (individually or as a group) get sponsors for each book they read during their challenge period. At the end of the program, the group pools its funds and decides which animals to donate through Heifer International, to help other families move from hunger to self-reliance.

The Read to Feed program can be customized for any classroom, and the resources in the Read to Feed kit make the program easy for class leaders. East Granby, CT, Public Library Director Lisa Salazar, spoke of the program “in glowing terms,” according to the East Granby Patch. “I think we’re teaching the kids about giving – that’s huge,” Salazar said.

Heifer International’s animal gifts are fun, but they’re also powerful instruments in the struggle against hunger. Animals provide nutrition for malnourished families, and their excess products (eggs, milk, wool, etc.) can be sold for money to pay for school, medicine and other expenses. When they reproduce, their offspring will be passed on to another needy family. With the gift of an animal, any student can be part of the solution to hunger and poverty.

Just like adults, kids discover new enthusiasm for their efforts when they know they’re making a difference to others. Raising the money for an animal gift is an accomplishment children can be proud of. Many classes that participate in Read to Feed report that children get more excited about reading when they are working toward the goal of a Heifer International animal.

About Heifer International:
Heifer’s mission is to end hunger and poverty while caring for the Earth. Since 1944, Heifer International has provided livestock and environmentally sound agricultural training to improve the lives of those who struggle daily for reliable sources of food and income. Heifer is currently working in 40 countries, including the United States, to help families and communities become more self-reliant. For more information, visit www.heifer.org.