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Members of the Pottstown High School KEY Club and Elks Lodge 814 with books they collected and donated to the Pottstown Memorial Medical Center's maternity department.

Blogger's Note: As part of their effort to support the Pottstown School District's PEAK initiative to get books into the hands of new parents and start off their parenting on the right foot, the Pottstown High School KEY Club and Pottstown Regional Public Library collected book donations to donate to the maternity department at the local high school.

What follows is the release from the hospital about the donation.

Pottstown Memorial Medical Center’s Maternity department recently received 200 donated book packets from Pottstown High School’s KEY Club and the Pottstown Library. 

 Pottstown Memorial Medical Center has been involved in an ongoing “Books 4 Babies” Book Drive with the two organizations to emphasize the importance of reading aloud to children for literacy development and language acquisition.

The Pottstown High School KEY Club is an international student led organization, which provides volunteers for a variety of community and school events, including Parent Literacy Nights. 

Studies have shown that reading aloud to children stimulates achievement in reading comprehension and overall success in school. 

"The Pottstown High School KEY Club is happy to help get young readers on the path to success through the Books 4 Babies project. We had a lot of fun working with the Pottstown Regional Public Library, the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks Pottstown Lodge No 814, and Pottstown Memorial Medical Center. We look forward to continuing this project!" said Jenna Endy, KEY Club President.

Through the assistance of the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks Pottstown Lodge No. 814 the “Books 4 Babies” project was able to donate 200 books. 

In addition the members of the Elks Lodge volunteered to assist the KEY Club in preparing and delivering the books. 

“The members of the Benevolent and Protective order of Elks of Pottstown Lodge Number 814 are honored and proud to work in partnership with the Pottstown High School Key Club, Pottstown Regional Public Library and Pottstown Memorial Medical Center in order to facilitate such a beneficial program as “Books 4 Babies,” said Jerry Rhoton, Exalted Ruler B.P.O.E Pottstown Lodge No. 814.

Donations of newly gently used books for infants and toddlers are currently being accepted and donations can be dropped at Pottstown High School, 750 N. Washington Street, Room 134. 

Donated books will be distributed to newborns at Pottstown Memorial Medical Center. 

“Pottstown Memorial Medical Center is excited about the opportunity to give newborn babies the gift of literacy and to continue to serve as an integral part of the Pottstown community,” said Charlotte Dardanello, Chief Nursing Officer at Pottstown Memorial Medical Center.