A Kansas Literacy Festival Partner Spotlight:
Books and Breakfast ICT provides free food and literacy resources to community
In the months leading up to our Kansas Literacy Festival this September, Storytime Village is excited to spotlight the incredibly talented individuals and organizations who have partnered with us to host literacy programming across the state of Kansas.
This spotlight features Books and Breakfast ICT and their literacy kits geared toward readers of all ages.
The Inspiration Behind the Project
Over three years ago, a group of community leaders started Books and Breakfast ICT. The Books and Breakfast program focuses on addressing both food insecurities and literacy disparities within the Wichita community. Partially inspired by the Black Panther Free Breakfast program, the group provides free food, books, and resources to anyone who attends their event, which is held twice a month.
In addition, Books and Breakfast ICT also hopes to “reimagine the word ‘community’ through collaboration and empowerment,” said Program Coordinator TaDonne Neal. They also promote “positive imagery of African Americans and people of color, and community empowerment through cultural enrichment and collaborative community building.”
The Festival Project: Literacy Kits
For the Kansas Literacy Festival, Books and Breakfast ICT has partnered with Storytime Village to include another supplement to the resources they usually provide. In addition to giving free food and books, Books and Breakfast will hand out literacy kits, which will provide information on how to improve literacy skills at home. The literacy kits benefit a wide range of readers, including those who are first learning how to read, learning reading comprehension, and already know how to read. Children and adults can receive these resources through the Books and Breakfasts program, held on the second and fourth Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Books and Breakfast hopes their festival project will both combat literacy inequality as well as develop a more united community. The program’s aims are to develop the reading skills of participants of all ages as well as cultivate a love of reading. They also hope to build a community that works together to address community-wide issues.
Outside of the Kansas Literacy Festival, Books and Breakfast plans to continue collaborating with Storytime Village to provide free reading resources to the community.
“We will do programming, such as book reviews and recommendations, as well as provide short story zines to inspire a new way to enjoy reading,” Neal said.
Books and Breakfast will also participate in the local Juneteenth Celebration in June, giving free breakfast and books to all the children.
Books and Breakfast ICT
Books and Breakfast ICT is a collaborative program in Wichita, KS, hosted by the non-profit Community Operations Recovery Empowerment, as well as the Wichita Public Library, ICT RBG, Wichita Griots, WITT, and Truepoetry. Books and Breakfast provides free food and books, and its goal is to empower the community through cultural enrichment, community building, and literacy improvement. The program is open every second and fourth Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at St. Paul AME Church.
Support the Program
To get involved with Books and Breakfast ICT, one can volunteer to help run the program, or attend events and be part of the community building programming. To learn more about Books and Breakfast, find them on Facebook @BooksandBreakfastICT. To volunteer, contact TaDonne Neal at 316-302-4481.
In addition, donations are welcome. The group looks for books that includes positive imagery of African Americans as well as people of color. For monetary donations to help purchase food, visit https://www.coreofwichita.org/programs and specify for the Books and Breakfast Program.
For More Kansas Literacy Festival Programs:
Kansas Literacy Festival activities are happening from January to September of 2021, with the help of our Digital Partners all across Kansas. Visit storytimevillage.org for more information on other literacy projects happening across the state.
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