The Township Senior Living Brings Story Corner to the Community

Planetary Scientist Carl Sagan once said, “One of the greatest gifts adults can give – to their offspring and to their society – is to read to children.”

Putting books into the hands of children and forming meaningful intergenerational relationships is a priority for Arrow Senior Living communities! To support our efforts, we have launched what we call “Arrow Story Corner.” Each month a resident records the reading of a children’s book that highlights an “Arrow Tradition,” and these stories are shared online for all to hear. This tradition has grown from our company-wide Black History Month Story Corners, where residents all around Arrow Communities read children’s books highlighting black figures in history.

To support small businesses and literacy efforts, we host a fundraiser and partner with the EyeSeeMe Children’s Bookstore to purchase and donate copies of the books we read to local schools, and then a portion of our fundraising efforts also support The EyeSeeMe Foundation. The Foundation’s mission is to create programs that increase childhood literacy for under-served communities and to promote African American History and multicultural literature that will increase respect and tolerance for diverse cultures.

This month, The Township Senior Living is taking things a step further and embarking on the adventure of monthly Story Corner events in our community. One of our very own residents will read the Story Corner book of the month to children, as well as other residents, and share in a craft event and snack time. The featured book will then be added to our community library for residents to read to visiting grandchildren and a copy of the book will be donated to local schools with which our community partners.

We are hoping that Arrow’s Story Corner will build stronger relationships between our residents and their grandchildren and great grandchildren. It’s also a great opportunity for staff to bring their families into our community and get to know our residents. Children love to be read to and love seeing their grandparents.

The Township Senior Living has been partnering with McBride elementary in Republic for about a year now. Our residents and our staff have helped to donate books and school supplies to the children in attendance there.

We are in the works of partnering with McBride elementary to do Story Corners with them. The residents are excited to get the chance to read to the students and see the joy that it brings them.

Some of our residents’ favorite books to read to their children were any Dr. Seuss book. They continue to be a hit with our residents, their children, and great grandchildren.

All our Arrow communities encourage adults to give the gift of reading to youngsters. The relationships formed during the time spent between the reader and listener can be life changing for both generations.