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Contact: Liz Carroll
Phone: 413/775-1420
E-mail: carroll@gcc.mass.edu

Media contact: Liz Carroll
Marketing & Publications
413/775-1420 | carroll@gcc.mass.edu

Release date: January 10, 2005

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Greenfield Kiwanis and GCC believe "Reading is Fundamental"

"We believe that introducing books to preschoolers lays the foundation for future learning,” says Herb Hentz, Director of Admission and Director of Diversity at Greenfield Community College. Hentz is also the program coordinator for Reading is Fundamental (RIF), a national program sponsored locally by the Kiwanis Club of Greenfield.

As program coordinator, Hentz organizes volunteers to join him in reading books to children ages 3 to 5. Many of Hentz's volunteers include the College's early childhood education students, and GCC faculty and staff, including President Robert L. Pura, who is an honorary member of the Kiwanis Club of Greenfield.

"It's a great way to begin your day,” says Hentz. "We generally arrive at a preschool just after 9 o'clock with a variety of titles for the children to choose from. Usually I'll have half-a-dozen volunteers with me. Once the children decide on which books they'd like to read, we form small groups and the volunteers read the stories. After the story is read, the volunteers will then place the name of the child in each book, and the child gets to take that book home to share with their family.

"What an incredible look on their faces when they realize that the book they've just read now belongs to them and they can take it home,” continues Hentz. "For many of these children, the books that the Kiwanis Club provides are often the only books that they own, so it means a lot to them.”

Hentz has been the RIF coordinator for three years. "This program would not be possible without the Kiwanis Club of Greenfield,” says Hentz. "Over the years, they've invested thousands of dollars in this program.” Hentz has to submit an annual proposal to the national organization in order to use the trademarked name and to be licensed as an authorized distributor of RIF books. The 2005 program begins in February.

"This past year, we served 114 children,” says Hentz. "This coming year, we expect to serve 142 children.” The children served attend preschool at North Parish Elementary, Federal Street Elementary, Green River Elementary, Four Corners Elementary, the Girls Club of Greenfield, and the Learning Center at Oak Courts, where the children dubbed Hentz "Mr. Fun” (short for Fundamental!).

Recently, the Kiwanis Club of Greenfield honored Hentz with a Certificate of Recognition for excellence in community service, primarily for the RIF program. "It's very rewarding,” says Hentz. "A lot of the children see me in the streets, and they might be with their parents, who happen to be GCC students. So it all really ties in nicely, that I'm involved with the children at the preschool level, and also trying to recruit individuals to be GCC students.”