Rock Island, IL: Babies and toddlers visiting their pediatrician at the Rock Island Community Health Care clinic now get a prescription for reading, thanks to the Reach Out and Read early literacy program and a new partnership with the Rock Island Public Library.

Community Health Care and the library kicked off their literacy partnership in March, during Read Aloud 15 Minutes Month. The national campaign encourages every parent to read aloud to every child for 15 minutes a day, every day.

The library has partnered with Community Health Care - Rock Island Medical Clinic at 2750 11th Street to support their Reach Out and Read program with a "Begin Reading Here" kit for parents and children. Each kit includes a bib or a coloring sheet and crayons, early literacy tips, and information on free Rock Island Library cards and educational services for children under six. Community Health Care will distribute the kits at well baby and well-child visits.

The Rock Island Library is also supplying children's books for the clinic's pediatric and dental office waiting rooms. Parents can take a book from or leave a book in the "Read with Max" little library, which will be replenished by the library as needed. Max Reader Mouse is the library's reading mascot.

"Getting books into the hands of children is a proven strategy for building positive feelings about books and reading," says Susan Foster, Rock Island Library director of children's services. The library had been actively searching for a Reach Out and Read partner as part of its mission to create young readers.

"We were so pleased to find that there was already a program right in our backyard," adds Foster. "Partnering with Community Health Care enables  our agencies to help families raise children who are healthy and ready to learn. We look forward to working with them to support children's early learning needs, and ensure they have access to the early learning resources in their community."

"We serve all those in need to create healthier families. That means children attend school more often, our workforce and our economy is stronger, and all citizens have access to health care, despite their financial situation," says Adam Meuser, Community Health Care's Illinois operations manager.

Reach Out and Read is an evidence-based nonprofit organization of medical providers that formed in 1989 to promote early literacy and school readiness in pediatric exam rooms. Community Health Care has partnered with the Reach Out and Read program since 2007, beginning in their Davenport office.

Pediatricians at Reach Out and Read sites prescribe books as a critical part of early childhood development, and provide advice to parents about the importance of reading aloud into well-child visits. Evidence collected by the organization shows that Reach Out and Read families read together more often and that preschoolers served by Reach Out and Read partners score three to six-months ahead of their non-Reach Out and Read peers on vocabulary tests.

Community Health Care is a federally qualified health center that serves the community from seven clinic locations in Davenport, East Moline, Moline and Rock Island. CHC has provided primary patient care for nearly 40 years, serving more than 37,000 individuals with Medicaid, Medicare, private insurance or no insurance.

Additional information about library events and services is available by visiting www.rockislandlibrary.org, following the library's Facebook and Twitter sites, or by calling 309-732-READ (7323.)

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Founded in 1872, the Rock Island Public Library serves the area through three locations, which include the Main, 30/31 and Southwest Branches, community outreach efforts, and online opportunities that provide resources to enhance personal achievement and stimulate the imagination.

Thanks to the generosity of a growing business in the Hilltop Campus Village district, the office of the district has settled into a new home. It is now at 122 East 15th Street, in space provided by the Ascentra Credit Union - which is itself moving soon to their new facility on the SW corner of Brady and Locust Streets, currently under construction and scheduled to open in July 2015. The HCV offices were formerly located at 601 Brady Street.

"We were frankly surprised by the terrific success of our "Studio Suites" project in the Priester Building. Seven new businesses have located there in less than a year and we began thinking at year's end that we may have worked ourselves out of an office space.", said HCV Board President Robert Lee, "So our Board instructed the HCV Director to begin making discreet inquiries as to what might be available. We were extremely pleased to find an option like the space available at Ascentra's present location."

"On the one hand, it is challenging to keep moving our offices; nobody enjoys that process" said Director Scott Tunnicliff. "On the other, since our mission is to encourage reinvestment and revitalization in the area, it is a practical price to pay for success. The space we have been accorded allows us a chance to continue to work to improve and promote the opportunities here."

Dale Owen, CEO of Ascentra Credit Union, was pleased to respond to the inquiry. "After meeting with Scott and later with Robert Lee, it became apparent that there was some synergy between our plans and their needs, both for the short and long-term. We look on this as the first of many ways we can take a leadership role in helping good things happen in the Hilltop Campus Village and vicinity." 

Christopher Meyer, board member and Chair of the Promotions Work Group, was one of those in charge of making the move. "Our board made a very deliberative decision and once made, everything seemed to come together. I continue to be impressed by the level of commitment shown by commercial property owners in our area. We had an outpouring of volunteers helping to make the move so we didn't miss a beat with respect to work continuing."

Kelly Young, Board Vice-chair and head of the Organization Work Group noted that this is just a part of the progress being made. "Ascentra has made us very welcome. Scott has received a warm welcome from Ascentra staff and we will look forward to working closely. There are a lot of very good things happening in the Hilltop area right now, and this is just one of them." 
Further inquiries may be directed to Scott Tunnicliff (563 370 2098) or Dale Owen (563 459-6910).

DES MOINES, IA (03/10/2015)(readMedia)-- April 15 is right around the corner! When you file your Iowa state income tax return, don't forget to support the Iowa State Fair by participating in the Corndog Tax Checkoff. All it takes is one little checkmark on your state tax form to help the Fair continue to preserve the allure of the historic Fairgrounds.

Look for the State Fairgrounds Renovation Checkoff on line 58b of Iowa Tax Form 1040 or on line 14 of Iowa Tax Form 1040A and check off $1 (or more!) to help preserve the historic Iowa State Fairgrounds. Your gift is either deducted from your refund or added to the amount due. Contributions to the Corndog Checkoff are fully tax-deductible.

The Corndog Checkoff is a simple way to support your Iowa State Fair! Every dollar donated to the Checkoff is directly allocated to capital improvements. The Corndog Checkoff has raised over $1.7 million, and has supplemented restoration projects from the Grandstand to the newly air conditioned Cultural Center. In addition, funds generated by the Checkoff have helped improve the campgrounds, parking areas, sidewalks and restrooms.

The Iowa State Fair Blue Ribbon Foundation is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization. Since its inception in 1993, the Foundation has generated over $100 million for renovations and improvements to the Iowa State Fairgrounds. For more information on the Corndog Tax Checkoff, please contact the Blue Ribbon Foundation at (800) 450-3732 or emailbluerf@blueribbonfoundation.org.

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