St. Mary’s Health offers “Books to Grow By” with help from Local Partners

Last year St. Mary’s Health Kamiah Clinic implemented a fun and educational program, “Books to Grow By”, that provides kids with a new book when they come in for their Well-Child visits. It’s a healthier alternative to the traditional sugary suckers and stickers, and it lasts much longer! The program has proved to be wildly popular, and the kids really look forward to choosing a new book of their own from our book shelf. We offer a book to all children, from new babies up to 17 years of age, so we have quite a variety of reading needs to meet. Initially, the program was started with grant money, which has now been depleted. We’d like to extend our heartfelt thanks to the Upriver Youth Leadership Council for their donation of $400.00 to our program, and to the Kamiah Chamber of Commerce for their donation of $300.00. Their generosity helps contribute to the overall well-being of our children, and highlights their commitment to serving and developing the youth in our area.

“It is wonderful to have the children of our community add a new book to their collection when they come in for their Well-Child visits. We love to encourage reading and it is very rewarding to see their eyes light up when choosing a new book! We were able to buy $1000 in books this past year for all our locations; and, with amazing partners like UYLC and the Kamiah Chamber of Commerce, we can continue to do even more,” said program director, Leah Kludt, RN. “In the future, each St. Mary’s Health Clinic will raise funds for their individual clinics to keep this program going. To be able to continue to do this in our Kamiah clinic, we’re asking for your support in continuing to build and grow our library.”

If you are interested in donating to our “SMH Books to Grow By” Program, please contact Leah Kludt at 208-935-2585.