difference MAKING A By Jennifer LoConte


COPS ‘n’ KIDS LITERACY PROGRAM


MAKING CONNECTIONS THROUGH READING: Y


ou know you are doing the right thing in life when all the forces of nature


conspire to make you successful.” Beverly Bradley, President of Cops ‘n’ Kids Children’s Literacy Program, keeps this quote as a daily reminder of how a single book can forever


change the life of a child. According to The State of Literacy in America, 61% of the poorest children have no books in their homes. Additionally, the US Census reveals that there are areas of the Lehigh Valley with a signifi cant percentage of families living below the poverty level. Cops ‘n’ Kids, a national initiative, was originally founded by Wisconsin police offi cer Julia Witherspoon. The mission of Cops ‘n’ Kids is to connect kids and community through literacy. Specifi cally, the initiative strives to ensure that every child has access to books in his/her home; encourages positive relationships between children and police; and inspires creative learning experiences between children and families. In June 2003, the Lehigh Valley Chapter of Quota International adopted the initiative on a local level.


Bradley, a retired school teacher of 30 years, has been the Program’s director since the very beginning. She says, “I originally told my husband this would be my fun, Thursday project and hoped to give out 1000 books.” This past April, at the 5th annual Cops ‘n’ Kids Reading Celebration, the number of books distributed reached 400,000. Bradley’s enthusiasm and dedication to less fortunate children is a part of who she is. Raised by her mother, Bradley and her four brothers lived in poverty. She says, “My community and schools


10 Early Fall 2011 Lehigh Valley Marketplace


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