SVA is delighted to announce that they have received a $3,500 grant from the Pitney Bowes Foundation and the Pitney Bowes Bridgeport Community Investments Committee for its Reading Enrichment Program. Over 500 people volunteer with this program to read books on an ongoing basis throughout the year to Bridgeport school children enrolled in pre-kindergarten through sixth grade classes. The grant will be used to purchase the wonderful children’s books that will be read and then donated to the classroom libraries. During the past school year, 9,650 books were donated to the schools through this program.

The children enjoy having adults from outside the school read aloud to them and share stories about their lives. Volunteers enjoy interacting with the students and supporting their emerging literacy skills through the simple but powerful act of reading books aloud.