If Sheila Birnbaum has her way, every child under 5 years of age in Sarasota County will have at least one book to call their own.
A longtime champion of child literacy, the 20-year Sarasota resident is partnering with Children First, launching its inaugural “Today a Reader, Tomorrow a Leader” book drive.
Children First, the exclusive provider of Head Start and Early Head Start services for Sarasota County, will distribute books collected to more than 300 children in one of their programs.
"Each child is given a book to take home here at Children's First," Birnbaum said. "So it's theirs. And hopefully the parents will read to them. Reading to a child that young — infants to 5 years old — is a doorway to life."
After that, Birnbaum says, remaining books will be given to other agencies that provide services to children, including hospitals and police departments.
As of Feb. 5, 245 books had been collected, according Children First spokesman Evan Ackerman.
Birnbaum, a patient advocate in New Jersey before moving to Sarasota, has organized several programs coming to the Suncoast. As a volunteer with JFCS of the Suncoast, she spearheaded The Pajama Game, which provided new pajamas and books for young children; Sock It To Us, which provided new socks for the homeless and for children in need.
She also collaborated with Embracing Our Differences and Ringling College of Art and Design to produce a children's activity and coloring book.
In 2022, working with Aviva Senior Living, she was named National Trustee of the Year by the Association of Jewish Aging Services.
Early literacy is a passion, she says. "I'm a wife, a mother and a grandmother of five," she said. She explained books bring the world to them. "They see the bear or they see the train ... over and over, and eventually they're reading to you."
She says reading to your children is forming an important bond. "Everyone is sitting on someone's lap at some time in their life. And that's how we learn."
The Children First book drive runs until March 31. Community members can participate by delivering or mailing donations to 1723 N Orange Ave, Sarasota, FL 34234. Participation is also encouraged by making a monetary donation online to go toward the purchase of books.
Jim DeLa is a reporter for the Community News Collaborative. Reach him at jdela@cncfl.org
