The Kiwanis Club of Birmingham read to children and donated books across the Birmingham area in its initiative to promote literacy in early education.
Through its program, Kiwanis Reads, club members read to hundreds of preschool children enrolled in Birmingham City Schools, local Head Start locations, PreSchool Partners, The Bell Center, United Ability and the YWCA.
In March, members read “Hi! Fly Guy” by Tedd Arnold to around 881 children across 19 locations. There were 933 copies of the book that were donated to the 52 classrooms the club visited, allowing children to build their school and home libraries.
Kiwanis Club of Birmingham gifted these books in the hopes that it will help children develop a love for reading.
“Reading opens the door to a world full of opportunities and possibilities,” said Kiwanis Club of Birmingham Executive Director Honora Gathings.
“The gift of literacy is one of the greatest gifts we can give to empower a child,” Gathings continued.
In addition to the literacy program, the Kiwanis Club partnered with Mark Pettway, the Jefferson County Sheriff and club member, for his Books Not Bullets program. The program seeks to bridge the gap between law enforcement and youth in the community through literature. Kiwanis International President Michael Mulhaul and Kiwanis Club of Birmingham President Johan Saxton recently donated 200 books to the Books Not Bullets Initiative.
Last summer, Kiwanis Club of Birmingham was recognized by Kiwanis International for its Kiwanis Reads program with the 2025 Kiwanis International Signature Project Award.
