Organizers of the Read to Your Bunny program in Emporia had a lot to celebrate Thursday — the one-year anniversary of the program and the first birthdays of two of the first babies to receive welcome packets from the program.
Each new parent who has a child born at Newman Regional Health receives a welcome kit. The welcome kit includes a book, a packet of information on the importance of reading to the child at least 20 minutes a day and a handmade bunny. The project is spearheaded by Janice Romeiser and Eleanor Browning, who represent the Emporia National Education Association.
The book, “Read to Your Bunny” by Rosemary Wells, encourages parents to read to their new family member for at least 20 minutes a day. In the author’s Web site, www.rosemarywells.com, Wells quotes reading time as the most important 20 minutes of the day.
“... (T)he most important in the first years of life is the growth of the mind and spirit,” the Web site states. “This is when a child learns to love and trust, to speak and listen.”
Two of the first babies to receive bunnies from the program visited the Emporia Public Library on Thursday afternoon — Samantha Abigail Pankratz, the very first baby to receive a bunny, and Joshua James Joplin, James, the son of Emily and Scott Joplin, was supposed to be the first baby to receive a kit, but he arrived after his due date and Samantha arrived early. Samantha is the daughter of Jason and Amber Pankratz.
The parents enjoyed the Read to Your Bunny program.
“It helped us get started,” Amber Pankratz said. “We read to her every single day.”
Jason Pankratz agreed.
“There is no such thing as enough books,” he said. “But at the same time you need to eat!”
Emily Joplin praised the program as well.
“I think it’s wonderful,” she said. “He loves his books. He will go over to his book basket and sit on the floor and read to himself.”
To date, the Read to Your Bunny program has given welcome packets to 484 babies.
“It’s a good time,” Jason Pankratz said. “It comes at a time when you’re really receptive to any help at all. You haven’t developed any biases.”
To keep up with the demand for the bunnies, Browning and Romeiser have organized monthly “Bunny Bees” sessions, where people come together to assemble bunnies. Several volunteers get together from 4 to 5:30 p.m. the second Monday of each month. The public is welcome to come, they said.
• Anyone wishing to help fund the project, volunteer to make bunnies or have questions can call Browning at (620) 794-3708; or Romeiser at 344-0338. Donations of fabric and stuffing for the bunnies is needed. Donations can be brought to Prairie Pieces Quilt Shop, 911 Commercial St.
runnincrazy (anonymous) says...
What a GREAT program for parents to start with our childern with. Janice and Eleanor have started a program which has proven research showing that reading to your child at a very early age is beneficial to the child.
This would be a wonderful community service project for anyone or organization. I was fortunate to participate in one of the "Bunny Bees" and I had a ton of fun talking with everyone and stuffing bunnies. There are people there with sewing machines, so you don't have to be able to sew to participate (good thing). Supplies can be donated, so if you have scrap fabric, thread or batting (stuffing) please don't throw it away, call one of these ladies.
August 24, 2008 at 9:57 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )