The Top 5IVE Tickets Top 5 Awards Event

Gordon urges public to send books to troops, families

0
Share

ALBANY–Assemblyman Tim Gordon (I-108th) has received over a thousand books from local residents for the United Through Reading Military Program book drive he is sponsoring to support our troops and their families. The program helps ease the stress of separation often felt among military families, especially children, when a parent or relative is deployed. Donated books will be sent along with DVDs to military personnel overseas. The deployed service member reads the book while being filmed and a DVD and the book are returned home, allowing the child to watch and read along with their loved one.

“Separation from a parent is often a very stressful experience for a child that can affect them both socially and in their academics,” Mr. Gordon said in a press release from his office. “There has been such a great outpouring of support from the community for this program that helps maintain valuable connections between deployed troops and their families.”

The United Through Reading program began in 1989. The release says that currently more than a million American children have one or both of their parents deployed in the military.

Assemblyman Gordon added that with an increased number of military personnel deployed around the world, there is a great need for donations to help continue this program. He described the DVDs as reassuring to the children of the deployed troops and as a meaningful way of supporting the troops and their families.

Mr. Gordon thanked residents for their donations, as well as the local town halls, libraries and Girl Scout Troop 1229 in Bethlehem for opening their doors as drop-off sites. Book donations are still being accepted and may be dropped off at Assemblyman Gordon’s Community Office at 1654 Columbia Turnpike in Castleton-on-Hudson, or at the following locations:

Kinderhook Memorial Library, Nassau Free Library, New Lebanon Library, North Chatham Free Library, Poestenkill Library, and Sand Lake Library.

All donations will be delivered to Fort Drum to be sent to troops deployed across the globe. For more information, including a list of recommended books to donate, visit the United Through Reading web site at www.unitedthroughreading.org or call Assemblyman Gordon’s office at (518) 479-0542.

Related Posts