Parents Get Books Along With Meals

Lesleh Galvin, a mother of two, was met with the pleasant surprise of two free kids’ books while visiting Bishop Woods School to pick up free breakfast and lunch meals-to-go after having a hectic week.

Friday was the start of the city’s newest initiative to aid New Haven Public School (NHPS) families dealing with not only hungry stomachs but hungry minds.

NHPS partnered with the New Haven Reads and Read to Grow programs to offer a weekly free book giveaway at 12 different NHPS meal distribution sites on Fridays.

“This week hit me hard, but this was a very nice pick me up. My kids love books,” Galvin said.

This week, Galvin’s online school routine with her kindergartener and second grader fell slightly off track due to unexpected shifts in the kids’ schoolwork causing her family some temporary stress.

Like many other families, Galvin has been running out of safe distractions indoors during the day. Galvin said her family has played just about every game, read every book, and put together every puzzle they have in their home. Now the Galvin family has begun keeping entertained by taking long drives throughout the week.

As Galvin picked up her meals on Friday morning, Melissa Ruggiero, Read to Grow’s early childhood coordinator for the Early Steps to School Success program, handed her two copies of the book A Color of His Own by Leo Lionni.

By 11:15 a.m Ruggiero had passed out about 40 books to families picking up meals.

At each distribution site, the volunteers give the families one book per student and preselect them for the students based on their grade level. The three grade-level groups are: Pre‑K through 2nd grade, 3rd through 5th, and 6th through 8th. More than half of the families who picked up books on Friday picked up for kids in grades Pre‑K through second grade, said Ruggiero.

Fernando Gutiérrez picked up a book for his daughter in the eighth grade.

Gutiérrez said his daughter has been reading more since being out of school. ​“She won’t be bored no more,” he said.

Ruggiero plans to volunteer each coming Friday at Bishop Woods to continue distributing the free books to families.

Ruggiero said many parents in conversations Friday suggested that high school level books be distributed in the near future.