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2014 SPECIAL SESSION I

14200015D
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 5015
Offered March 28, 2014
Commending The Reading Connection.
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Patrons-- Lopez, Brink, Hope and Krupicka; Senators: Ebbin, Favola and Howell
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WHEREAS, in 2014, The Reading Connection, a nonprofit organization based in Arlington County, celebrates 25 years of improving the lives of children and families in the metropolitan Washington, D.C., area by sharing the joys of reading; and

WHEREAS, founded by three Arlington County reading teachers in 1989, The Reading Connection now offers programs in the City of Alexandria, Washington, D.C., and the Counties of Arlington and Fairfax; the organization plans to expand its Read-Aloud program into Maryland in 2014; and

WHEREAS, over the years, The Reading Connection has enriched the lives of over 15,000 children by providing volunteers to read aloud at shelters and community centers and giving children nearly 100,000 books; in 2013, the organization read with 1,400 children and provided almost 12,500 new books; and

WHEREAS, The Reading Connection’s programs are based on reading research from the 1985 Commission on Reading, Becoming a Nation of Readers, which stated that reading aloud to children is the “single most important activity for building the knowledge required for eventual success in reading”; and

WHEREAS, The Reading Connection encourages parents to take an active role in their children’s reading education by offering workshops, and it trains family support workers who promote the importance and benefits of reading; and

WHEREAS, The Reading Connection owes much of its success to many generous donations from local businesses, residents, foundations, and organizations and the dedicated service and invaluable expertise of countless volunteers; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend The Reading Connection on the occasion of its 25th anniversary; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Courtney Kissell, executive director of The Reading Connection, as an expression of the General Assembly’s admiration for the organization’s commitment to enriching the lives of children and families in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area.