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newlenoxpatriotdaily.com life & Arts
the new lenox patriot | March 26, 2020 | 21
NL woman creates Facebook group for virtual reading
Sean Hastings, Editor
Posing for a photo with their favorite books are
Leighton and Lucas Duff after they read on Thursday,
March 19.
In the blink of an eye, everything
changed for a lot
of people. And with those
changes has come a lack of
face-to-face interaction.
Two of those changes include
children not being in
school and senior centers
not allowing visitors.
But a New Lenox
woman’s idea is helping
fill those voids. Melinda
Green, who also owns DIY
Sign Party in New Lenox,
created a Facebook group
that allows parents to record
their children reading,
which is then shared in the
group for seniors at different
centers to watch.
The group is called Virtual
Reading Heroes.
“It wasn’t planned to
come up with this,” Green
said. “I was driving to an
event on Saturday [March
14] and someone mentioned
the senior centers
and being able to connect
with them. It was a brainstorm
thing. If we can make
this happen, kids can work
on reading skills and it’s a
great opportunity for the
seniors to see the kids and
have the entertainment.”
And since creating the
group on March 17, more
than 700 people have
joined from all around the
country.
The group allows people
to join upon approval by
Green where parents can
then sign their child up to
read on a certain day. Multiple
children read each day.
Green has children of
her own — Benjamin, Caleb
and Noah — who have
been readers in the group.
“I don’t think they quite
understand the whole thing
of it,” Green said. “When
we talk with them — I
have a great aunt in a nursing
home — we talk about
how she would feel to have
visitors. This would bring a
light to [the seniors’] days.
Then they are really on
board.”
Another reader is New
Lenox resident Gavin Hansen,
a third grader at Nelson
Prairie, who “loves fun
facts.” Gavin shared the
fact that humans share approximately
97 percent of
their DNA with gorillas.
Gavin read a book about
elephants from National
Geographic Kids March
18.
“I really thought it would
be good to read about elephants
and it would be nice
to read,” Gavin said.
His mother, Karen, found
the group on Facebook and
since their family already
makes cards for seniors,
this was a good way to still
bring some joy to them.
“I try to teach them that’s
why we like to make cards,”
Karen said. “It is important
and one small task and one
card can change a day.”
And the seniors have
made their day before, as
well, she said.
Gavin’s excitement to be
part of the group was clear.
And having visited nursing
homes before and interacting
with two seniors in the
home, he understands the
impact he and the other
children have.
“When we make someone
feel happier, it makes
us feel better, too,” Gavin
said, as he recalled a time
he met a senior and realized
she loved animals,
and brought her a Snoopy
stuffed animal the next time
Posing for a photo with their books are Gavin (left) and Nathan Hansen. Photos
Submitted
they saw one another.
Gavin’s younger brother,
Nathan, read Monday,
March 23.
For 7-year-old twins
Leighton and Lucas Duff,
they were excited to read
their favorite books. Leighton’s
is “Bear Snores on,”
and Lucas’ is “The Icky
Sticky Frog.”
Leighton’s favorite part
of the book is when the
other animals show up and
they have a party. Lucas’
favorite part of his is when
the frog gets eaten by a fish
— after it ate all the bugs
— for a surprise ending.
And the twins were determined
to make it perfect.
Their mother, Katie, said
the two practiced for 30
minutes.
Katie has been friends
with Green for 10 years.
“It’s so fun and I’m
super proud of Melinda
and it’s awesome to give
back,” Katie said. “They’re
big readers. This is a neat
way to help someone else.
We’re stuck away from
people and it’s nice they
can read for others.”
And what is nice about
the group is that even
though the children may
not know the senior that is
going to see them read, it is
still just as special.
Many of the seniors are
used to regular visitors —
primarily family — and
they cannot get that right
now.
“You never know who
they are going to be reminded
of,” Katie said.
“You can really bring some
joy to someone. A lot of
people in the group are
friends and neighbors.”
As the group continues
to grow, Green is hoping
more senior centers join.
She is also coordinating
to have the seniors read to
the children. One senior at
a center in Rhode Island
read “Goodnight Moon” on
Thursday, March 19.
She is also bringing in
different types of entertainment
including musicians.
The one obstacle she has
run into is not all senior
centers have the ability to
access to view the videos.
“I’m not one to settle for
not happening,” she said.
“I’m going to push forward
and make it work.”
For those interested in
becoming a reading hero,
visit the Virtual Reading
Heroes page on Facebook.