The Waterfront Foundation is a 501c3 nonprofit corporation established in 2019 to raise and manage funds and properties which support the mission, services and programs of The Chautauqua Center Inc.

The gift was presented by Anne Hedin, longtime member of Lit Wits, a local book club comprised of 25 women who have been meeting together and supporting the community since the mid-1980s. Members of the book club regularly donate to literacy programs in the Jamestown area and recently added Read to Me TCC to their list of recipients.

“As a book club, our great love is reading and we do anything we can to foster a like-minded love,” Hedin said.

Read to Me TCC was started by The Waterfront Foundation in 2021 to promote reading and allow The Chautauqua Center to provide an extra level of support to pediatric patients. The connection between reading and health care is not very well known, however the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends providing books to children as an essential aspect of well childcare. Recent research shows reading failure disproportionately affects children from socially and economically disadvantaged families and contributes to continuing the cycle of poverty. Reading is one of the most effective ways to develop language during early childhood and to gain the literacy skills required for school readiness. Because not every child in our area has access to a variety of books at home, pediatric providers at TCC Jamestown are proud to be able to provide new books to their patients.

From left are Paul Robbins, DO; Anne Hedin, Lit Wit book club member, Jennifer Janocha, PA; Sarah Gilbert, director of fundraising for The Waterfront Foundation pose with books in English and Spanish offered through Read to Me TCC.

Children receive one new book at each well visit – which occurs more frequently for younger patients. From age 0-5, patients receive a total of ten books. After that, children receive books on an annual basis. The books are available in English and Spanish.

“I love using books during appointments,” said Dr. Paul Robbins, TCC pediatrician. “They are a great tool to assess fine motor skills and developmental milestones. It also gives me the chance to role model reading aloud to parents, which is very helpful especially for new parents.”

For more information, visit tcchealth.org/donate.

Read to Me TCC donation

Unpacking books for Read To Me TCC