Kiwanis Joins Laundromat, North Miami Beach Library To Dedicate Reading Outreach Program

             The Kiwanis Club of Northeast Miami-Dade, on of South Florida’s most active community service organizations, recently joined with the North Miami Beach Library and a local laundromat to dedicate the Foxy Lady Reading Corner, the first outreach reading program of its kind in the State of Florida. 

            Located at the Foxy Lady Laundry, 250 NE 167^th street, the reading corner—which features a wide variety of books geared to kids up to five-years-old—is designed to ensure that parents can read, year-around, to their children while doing their laundry.

            “It is important to have books available to kids—and their parents—outside of the school setting,” said Dr. Wil Blechman, former President of Kiwanis International, and current Chairman of the Kiwanis International Committee on Youth Children who spearheaded the reading corner. Blechman, a member of the Kiwanis Club of Northeast Miami-Dade, is an internationally known expert on early childhood development.  “Getting these children comfortable with books and reading at a young age plays an invaluable part in their intellectual growth and understanding.  The significance of learning at an early age simply can not be overstated.”

             The Kiwanis Club of Northeast Miami-Dade, now celebrating its 61^st year, has played a key role in education in the northeast Miami-Dade area for more than six decades.  For the past 20 years, members of the club have read monthly with first grade students at Gertrude K. Edelman/Sabal Palm Elementary and the club has one of the state’s largest dictionary distribution programs, annually supplying dictionaries to 19 elementary schools.

             The dedication/ribbon cutting featured a variety of Kiwanis Club members and kids, as well as North Miami Beach Councilwoman Phyllis S. Smith, City of Sunny Isles Commissioner Larisa Svechin and Foxy Lady owner Richard Bassin.

             “Like many laundries, we have video games the kids can play while their parents do their laundry,” said Bassin with a smile.  “But when the Kiwanis Club approached me with the idea of a reading corner, where kids—and their parents—could read together, I was excited.  This is a great opportunity to help improve our community on a grass-roots basis by helping kids.  And, after all, that’s what its all about—the kids.”

             For more information on the Kiwanis Club of Northeast Miami-Dade or to participate in one of their community service projects, visit their website, Kiwanisnemiamidade.org or call 786.792.9490.