Metropolitan Family Services to Operation Early Reading: "What you're giving children is such an amazing gift!"

Operation Early Reading chairs Paula Whitelaw and Patty Dewitt delivered 300 backpacks for ten schools and four home-based programs to Metropolitan Family Services in Wheaton on Tuesday, October 8, assisted by Julia Wade and Marianne Cortopassi.

"How wonderful to meet you all," wrote Joy Aaronson, Community Partnership Coordinator Head Start, in a follow-up email.  "You all make such a positive impact in the lives of the Head Start children and their families.  We are very grateful." 

OER supplements the Dupage Center's Head Start program, which provides comprehensive services to preschool children and their families. The home-based program, available to families living outside the center-based service areas, allows MFS parent child educators to serve children in their homes.
The center based programs are located in many area schools, including Anne M. Jeans school in Willowbrook.

After a discussion with Aaronson and Darlene Towns, Senior Education Supervisor, Whitelaw announced that Operation Early Reading is expanding its program to serve the organization's Early Head Start program.

"We are going to purchase 60+ books geared toward infants and toddlers so that we can participate in the Home-Based Infant/Toddler program," Whitelaw said.  "We would be sending an additional 5 bins with 12 backpacks each."

Joy Aaronson, Patty DeWitt, Paula Whitelaw, Darlene Towns, Julia Wade, Mariannne Cortopassi