1K Children's Books Donated In Washington Heights This Thursday

WASHINGTON HEIGHTS, NY — About 1,000 donated children's books will be distributed at a Thursday event in Washington Heights, organizers announced.

The nonprofit Literacy Inc. and health insurance company Fidelis Care will provide kids with literature that has diverse representation, according to the health provider.

Fidelis Care will host the event at 1365 St. Nicholas Ave. at 3 p.m., according to the insurance company.

At 3:30 p.m. a Fidelis Care executive will read one of the book’s aloud to families and at 4 p.m. the health firm will donate 1,000 books, including 500 copies of the New York Times best-seller “The ABCs of Black History” by Rio Cortez.

“Fidelis Care stresses the importance of positively impacting a child’s most formative years through early literacy habits such as reading aloud, which, with just 15 minutes a day can lead to many significant cognitive and developmental benefits,” Fidelis Care Medical Director and pediatrician Dr. Lisa Moreno said in a statement.

“Children are highly impressionable. At a time in our society when racial and social justice issues continue to make headlines, it’s important we demonstrate to children that excellence can look like them, too.”

Multilingual care representatives, who speak Bengali and Spanish, will be available to speak with parents and provide information on the importance of health and wellness for kids and families, according to a Fidelis Care spokeswoman.

LINC staff and volunteers will lead reading programs and offer resources to parents that share the importance of diversity and representation in children’s literature.

LINC Deputy Director Eliana Godoy said the nonprofit is about more than just distributing books.

“Our goal is to engage parents by providing them with simple tools and strategies they can use daily at home to create a strong literacy-rich foundation and nurture a love of reading,” Godoy said in a statement.

“Through these daily experiences, children are prepared to enter school and have the necessary skills to triumph at school and in life.”