ALTON - Alton Memorial Hospital’s partnership with Books for Newborns and the Alton Public Schools has been renewed for a third year thanks to an empowering $5,000 grant from Ameren Illinois.
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To date, more than 1,000 newborns at Alton Memorial have received book bags containing five age-appropriate books and reading materials courtesy of Ameren Illinois’ first two $5,000 grants. Books for Newborns has also provided books to older children participating in the hospital’s outpatient therapy programs.
“These are good people doing great work for a fantastic cause,” said Rusty Ingram, director of Business Development for Alton Memorial Hospital. “We are grateful to Ameren Illinois for helping them help us provide the gift of reading to the young people in our care. Our new moms, the nurses who care for them and their babies, and everyone here hope this program will continue for years to come.”
Books for Newborns is a 100 percent volunteer non-profit committed to improving literacy among “at-risk” children born into poverty. Entering its sixth year, it has already delivered more than 22,000 book bags to children across the Metro St. Louis region and is on pace to deliver 10,000 more in 2022.
“Though we have more than 100 volunteers ready, willing and able to help kids start down the path of reading toward all of the opportunities for success in school and in life that that path has to offer, funding is our only real constraint,” said Mike Hogan, chairman of Books for Newborns. “Without community-focused organizations like Ameren Illinois, we simply could not do what we do. We appreciate their commitment to our neighbors and friends, and their confidence in our work.”
Alton Memorial Hospital is a member of BJC HealthCare, focused on providing excellent care to the communities it serves. To learn more about the work of Books for Newborns and how you might participate or contribute, visit them on Facebook or their website, www.booksfornewborns.com.
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