Church Hopes To Bring Community Together Through Reading

May 25, 2011 - PRLog -- The Texas Center for the Advancement of Literacy and Learning reports that 14% of adults in Tarrant County cannot read a newspaper. In an effort to reverse this trend, FUMC of Arlington will host its Second Annual Book Carnival on June 4. Featuring child-friendly activities and free books in English and Spanish, this event is free and open to the public.

“Literacy is important,” says Rita Martin, member of the Adult Library Committee at FUMC of Arlington. “One way to develop literacy is to have books available.” The stats back up Martin’s claim. Low literacy rates have been linked to unemployment, low job performance and delayed development for children.

According to ProLiteracy, an organization which “champions the power of literacy to improve the lives of adults and their families, communities, and societies,” the low adult literacy rate can be connected “to almost every socio-economic issue in the United States.” They cite the statistic that over 60 percent of all state and federal correction inmates can barely read and write.

In 2009, FUMC of Arlington began the One Mile Mission, an outreach initiative focusing on the community within one mile of the church. In 2010, FUMC of Arlington expanded the project to include an additional mile in the Go the Second Mile project.

Inspired by this, the FUMC of Arlington Adult Library Committee decided to host an event to reach out to the surrounding community. This is the second year and they expect around 600 children, a significant jump from 2010.

Over 3,000 books have already been donated to this event, though Martin says they eventually hope to receive around 3,600 books. Books in Spanish have been in high demand in response to the prevalence of Spanish-speaking homes in the area.

Each child will be given a bag containing games and snacks and then asked to pick out six books to take home. “Kids spend a lot of time picking out their books,” says Martin. Parents are also offered a “supper bag” which contains a simple meal for a family of five. Children’s activities such as live book readings, face painting, etc will all be available. All books, activities and food will be available to the community free of charge.

The event will be on June 4, from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM. The Event is free and open to the public. For more information visit www.arlingtonmethodist.org

Online Press Room: www.arlingtonmethodist.org/pressroom

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Established in 1878, First United Methodist Church of Arlington is a historic church and vital part of Arlington. FUMC of Arlington has a congregation of approximately 5,000 members and reaches out to our community through our programs.