Sleepytime Story Hour hands out new
books, thanks to Wal-Mart education grant
Submitted photo
Randall Fross, local Wal-Mart store
manager, hands over a $500 check to
Joy McAndie. McAndie applied for and
received a grant from Wal-Mart to help
purchase new books for the Sleepytime
Story Hour program at EOU's Pierce
Library.
By Laura Hancock
Media and Publications Writer
lhancock@eou.edu
Published Sept. 30, 2005
La Grande, Oregon – Reading is important to the children as they snuggle up in their pajamas for Sleepytime Story Hour in the basement of Pierce Library at Eastern Oregon University.
And because reading is important to program director Joy McAndie, those children will leave the story hour with a free, new book in hand, thanks to a grant from the Wal-Mart Good. Works Foundation.
McAndie took over the job of Sleepytime Story Hour coordinator last year. She is also the circulation supervisor for Pierce Library. In August, she applied for a $50 grant to aid in the purchasing of new books to be given out to children. With the help of Michael Sirrine, director of EOU’s Office of Grants and Sponsored Programs, McAndie received $500 from the Wal-Mart foundation in September.
“This is a wonderful program,” said McAndie, who is thrilled to see more new faces at each reading. “It gets the community up here on campus.”
Sleepytime Story Hour provides a comfortable, cozy atmosphere where children ages 4-10 are introduced to literature and parents are encouraged to read to them at home. The program averages about 20 children in attendance, but sometimes there are up to 45 people in the room at once, McAndie said, including parents and grandparents.
The program first began in 1999 when Patricia Cutright, former EOU library director and EOU student Kimbra Cook decided that there was a need to provide this type of outlet for children and their parents.
Community members, retired teachers, school administrators, EOU education students and others volunteer an hour of their time twice per month to read to children. Sometimes the reading selections are based on a theme, like a holiday or going back to school. The theme for November will be imagination.
Up until now, Sleepytime Story Hour has relied solely on donations and garage sales to acquire the books that are given away at the end of every reading session. The $500 grant will be given back directly to the children in two ways, McAndie said: by physically handing them a new book to take home, and by purchasing the books through the Scholastic Book fairs at area schools this fall. A percentage of all book sales at the fairs will go back into the school system.
McAndie estimates that 100 new books will be purchased with the grant money. She encourages the campus community to bring children to the story hour too. Books can also be checked out from Pierce Library with a public library card after the story hour.
The Wal-Mart Good.Works Foundation provides grants and financial support to non-profit organizations in the following areas: environment, education, children and community. To learn more, contact Michael Sirrine in the Office of Grants and Sponsored Programs at (541) 910-3700 or visit www.walmartfoundation.org/wmstore/goodworks/scripts/index.jsp.
Contact Information for Admissions
Eastern Oregon University
University Advancement
One University Boulevard
Ackerman Hall, Room 209
La Grande, OR 97850
Phone: 541-962-3740
Fax: 541-962-3680
Email: advancement@eou.edu