In an effort to better serve clinic families, Better2gether and Read to Them have launched a joint effort to add a literacy component to the services they provide families who visit the Complex Care Clinic at the Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU.
Clinic), Stephanie Becker (Better2gether Executive Director), Dr. Tiffany Kimbrough, kneeling (Complex
Care Clinic), Alethia Watford (Complex Care Clinic Social Worker), and Sara Hudson (Read to Them
Program Manager). Photo courtesy of Stephanie Becker.
The Complex Care Clinic is designed to offer support and coordination, serving as a hub for clinical care and overall family well-being. This new partnership is one of the ways Better2gether helps support the unique needs of children who are seen in this clinic.
The two Richmond-based organizations have created an innovative program that will provide books and resources to the patients and their siblings visiting the clinic, promoting literacy and providing a much-needed distraction during long clinic visits. Through this program, Read to Them will provide a range of age-appropriate books for the children along with activities children and families can use to enhance reading and reading comprehension skills. Both organizations feel this new program, offered through the hospital, will expand the reach of families each organization serves.
“We are just so excited to have something to offer families for long doctor’s visits,” shared Dr. Tiffany Kimbrough, Associate Professor and Medical Director for the Complex Care Clinic at CHoR. “This is something our kids can use while they are here and they are waiting but also take home with them and continue to promote early literacy, reading, and good attachment to families.”
Better2gether and Read to Them strive to foster positive change in the lives of children, and this partnership is the perfect opportunity to make that change happen. Both organizations are motivated by the belief that the ability to read is a fundamental building block of a successful life.
Read to Them’s mission is to bring reading aloud programs to families through schools which is mostly achieved through its One School, One Book program. Better2gether supports families with children dealing with chronic illnesses by providing comfort items, financial assistance, and emotional support as they navigate their child’s care.
Both Executive Directors, Christa Donohue of Read to Them and Stephanie Becker of Better2gether believe this partnership shows the power of two separate organizations coming together to provide a higher level of service to their constituents, allowing them to deliver their missions in a more creative way. This work reflects the shared core values of both organizations– supporting families as they learn and grow together.
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For more information on Better2gether, visit www.better2gether.org
