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Kiwanis Club of Warren hosts inaugural Ready, Set, Grow event

From left, front row, are Ready, Set, Grow event volunteers Miranda Munksgard and Spencer White. Back row, from left are Dr. Matt Mychisin, Andrew Papalia, John Kersey, Albert Webster, Katie Keeports, Ruby Wiles, Cathy Hagadorn and Rocco DelPrince.

Met at the door by friendly, smiling faces and a table full of brand new colorful backpacks, children in pre-kindergarten through second grades and their parents entered into an enriching event where they were able to have fun, learn and grow.

Together.

A Kiwanis Club of Warren Early Learning Program, the inaugural Ready, Set, Grow event, was held at the Warren County YMCA recently. A signature project for Kiwanis Club of Warren, Ready, Set, Grow further leans into programming and events already in place including K-Kids, Builders Club and Key Club.

Kiwanis member Cathy Hagadorn said the main purpose of Ready, Set, Grow is to “increase parent (adult) and child engagement, talking and reading to babies.” Hagadorn continued, “Interaction is important and helps build their brains” citing that 90% of a child’s brain has developed by age 3 and 95% by the age of 5.

Community wide organizations serving to assist children and their families collaborated for Ready, Set, Grow. Set up at stations throughout the gymnasium, adult attendees were able to meet and speak with representatives and gather information on available services, support and programming to ensure kindergarten success.

Family Services Art Therapist Zoey Magill and Executive Director Nichole Neukam assisted children at the Ready, Set, Grow event with creating Backpack Buddies for backpacks provided to them by Kiwanis. 7 year old Warren Area Elementary Center Rylah Sudual shows off her new backpack and buddie.

In the large, open gym children were free to play games for prizes, participate in craft making, bounce in the large bounce house and fill their new backpacks with free reading books, age-appropriate activity sheets and school supplies. Special canine visitor Dee-Dee from the PAWSitive Support Program was happy to receive as much attention and as many pets as she could get.

Jones Chevrolet sponsored the event. Organizations represented included Free Books for Kids Town, Rouse Children’s Center, Jefferson Defrees Family Center, Warren Public Library, Parents as Teachers, Warren County YMCA, Forest-Warren Human Services Early Intervention and Family Services of Warren County.

The Kiwanis Club of Warren has distributed free learning guides around the area for children through kindergarten ages. Additional information on Kiwanis Club of Warren can be found at www.kiwanisofwarrenpa.org.

Rebecca DelPrince representing the PAWSitive Support Program is also a Kiwanis member is pictured with support dog Dee-Dee who works at the Warren Area High School and Craig Fithian.

Free Books for Kids Town founder Ruby WIles has been providing free books to children of all ages since 2011.

Pictured are parent educator Lacey Stanko and program supervisor Sarah Sanders, representing Parents as Teachers - Warren County.

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