By: Jacob Kessler
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
jacob@thevillagereporter.com
Retired local Doctor Jayantilal Galani donated $25,000.00, to be split between the Wauseon Schools, Wauseon Public Library, Fulton County Health Center, and local non-profit It All Matters. The organizations will be using the money to boost early literacy in Wauseon.
Wauseon Schools and the Fulton County Health Center will also be using some of that money for their Little Indians Backpack program. This program introduced new parents, who have just had a child at FCHC, to the school.
A representative gives the new parents a backpack with a onesie with the Indians logo, a beanie hat, and a stuffed animal.
As for early literacy, the LEAP Early Literacy Program works to increase traffic and create a lifelong relationship between children and their local library.
Doug Wheaton from the Wauseon Public Library explained that this initiative works with children in many ways and has a big presence in the city.
“The donation provided by the doctor is really going to help the library reach out to patrons to increase early literacy.”
“We would really like to have the earliest possible start with younger patrons that we can. Everyone knows reading is the earliest doorway to learning,” said Doug Wheaton.
He continued with, “The Wauseon Public Library, through their new StoryTime initiative, Leap Into Learning, is combining the Five Early Literacy Practices with Ohio’s Early Learning and Developmental Standards to create a fun and engaging StoryTime experience for kids 0-5 and their caregivers.”
“Participants in the program will receive a free book every month and dive deep into the heart of early literacy with informal learning.”