On August 15, 2013, Ashleigh Fisher, a member of our Reading Council, gave birth to her son, Nathan Charles.

Nathan was born 11 weeks early and spent 7 weeks in the NICU at Roanoke Memorial Hospital.

Throughout those weeks in the hospital, both Ashleigh and her husband read to their son. At a board meeting, Ashleigh shared the emotional impact and bonding that resulted from the reading experience.

As a result of her story, a community outreach project has been embraced by the Reading Council. It is called Books for Babies. Working with the NICU department of the Roanoke Memorial Hospital, Books for Babies delivers a board book to each family that is currently using the facility. Each book has a decorative sticker indicating that the book is a gift from the Reading Council. The reading of the book, while in the NICU, is a way for parents of premature babies to become involved with the emotional and cognitive development of their child.

Since January 2014, when the program was launched, 5869 books have been delivered to the NICU. Along with funding from the Reading Council, Books for Babies has received grants from VSLA as well as the Foundation of the Roanoke Valley. Individual donations of books are welcomed from members of the Reading Council, book clubs, and service organizations. The program has been the recipient of Barnes and Noble Holiday Book Drives. Books for Babies has had a positive impact on the lives of approximately 750 newborns each year.  

For more information about Books for Babies or about how to contribute, contact the project chair: Tamara Teaff     tteaffbcps@gmail.com