November 2nd. We are only one month away from Stella & Joy’s 2nd angelversary. Two years. Twenty-four months. 730 days. 17,520 minutes. An infinite number of tears and heart ache for what never came to be. Nothing will ever make the pain go away. Nothing will ever bring my daughters back. So I must find a way to keep their memory alive.
Once again, Zach and I are choosing to do some good in memory of Stella & Joy. Last year, you helped us donate over 800 books to low income daycares and families in Montgomery County. The response we received when I dropped off the books was amazing. Here’s some hard facts for you:
-Children who are not reading at grade level by the end of third grade are four times more likely to drop out of high school; six times as likely when they are also born into poverty
-By age 3, there is a 30 million word gap between children from the wealthiest and poorest families
-1 in 4 children in America grow up without learning how to read
-75% of Americans who receive food stamps perform at the lowest 2 levels of literacy, and 90% of high school dropouts are on welfare
When parents from low income families go holiday shopping, they must choose between basic life necessities and books or toys. In reality, there is not choice. Clothes, socks, food, heat, all take priority. When I dropped off the books last year, one of the things I was told was that some of these kids had never even read a brand new book, let alone owned one.
It goes without saying that given the choice, Stella & Joy would be here in my arms. But since they can’t be, I will keep their memory alive by helping others. Once again, every book we donate will have a sticker inside reading “Donated in Loving Memory of Stella & Joy Van Benthem.” Nothing makes me happier than seeing and hearing my daughters names.
So when you are shopping this holiday season, please consider picking up a book or two and sending them our way. If you are cleaning out you kid’s rooms or bookshelves, consider passing on the gently used books they no longer read. Please, help us keep Stella & Joy’s memory alive and give the gift of literacy to children who may otherwise never have the chance.
*If you need our address to mail us books, please let me know. Thank you!