Teaching reading at school is not enough to stamp out illiteracy, according to Reading Junto Inc., a family literacy organization in Batavia.

        The agency has started a month-long book drive to get books in the homes of families in Clermont County.

        Summer Tyler, executive of Reading Junto, said its mission is to eliminate illiteracy by promoting the importance of reading.

        “In some homes, children have no books or reading materials at all,” she said. “They have no opportunity to practice the reading skills they learn in school. A large part of our work is to get new and gently used books into the community.

        “Some children think of reading the same way they think about certain sports. They will say: "I don't like soccer. I won't play it.' But everybody has to read.”

        She said there is a great need for books designed for preschool children and for fiction and non-fiction books aimed at teen-agers.

        “These two age groups are often forgotten because the focus of reading is usually on elementary school-aged children,” she said.

        Books can be dropped off at branch libraries in Amelia, Batavia, Bethel, Felicity, Goshen, Milford-Miami, New Richmond, Owensville, Union Township and Williamsburg.

        Books will be accepted until January 19.

        Those kids you saw in Anderson Township walking dogs, baby-sitting, painting fire hydrants, picking up trash, reading to seniors and performing other tasks were students from team 7-5 from Nagel Middle School, part of a community service project, designed to help students learn about their neighborhood.

        They completed more than 2,200 hours of community service.

        The students were given a surprise party in their honor last month at the school.

        Charlie Warren, Jim Method, Tracy Bird and Margie Motzer provided guidance and instructions to the kids. Local businesses that participated were: T.G.I. Friday's, Jersey Mike's, Buffalo Wings & Rings, Subway, The Cooker Bar & Grille, LaRosa's, Sharper Edge Knife Co., and the Moore Family Funeral Homes.

        A team of 150 people, including students from the University of Cincinnati Athletic Department and Kenwood Baptist Church volunteers, will start construction on its first Habitat house at 9 a.m., Saturday at 3629 Clarion Ave., Evanston.

        The project also has financial and labor support from National City Bank, Ohio Capital Corporation for Housing, Ohio Department of Development, the Federal Home Loan Bank of Cincinnati, Millcreek Valley Habitat For Humanity and Cincinnati Habitat For Humanity.

        This house will be the fifth and final one built on Clarion Avenue in the last four years.

        It will be a two-story, three-bedroom house with 1 1/2 bathrooms. The Ishewi Washington & Robert Getter Partner families will help build the house.

       Allen Howard's “Some Good News” column runs Monday-Friday and Sundays. If you have suggestions about outstanding achievements, or people who are committing random acts of kindness that are uplifting to the Tristate, let him know at (513) 768-8362; at ahoward@enquirer.com; or by fax at (513) 768-8340.
       

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