What started as a simple book delivery has blossomed into a community initiative that’s changing lives one page at a time, thanks to a HealthCarePlus Grant for Good.
When Belinda, a Resource Teacher of Literacy in the Horowhenua, noticed the sparse library shelves at a local Teen Parent Unit, she knew she had to act.
Working with students who struggle most with literacy learning, Belinda understands the transformative power of books.
“I love books and helping people with all things related to books,” she says.
In addition, she’s currently pursuing a Doctor of Education, investigating self-efficacy for reading in students facing ongoing literacy challenges.
Belinda’s project began with the New Zealand Literacy Association’s Books for Babies initiative, typically delivered through local councils. She wanted to make it more meaningful for her region.
“I chose to gift them around Matariki time, as a time of significance for New Zealanders,” she explains.
Instead of the usual hospital deliveries, Belinda targeted Teen Parent Units in Levin and Palmerston North.
“These parents often have less spare income to afford new books for their children, and I felt they deserved something special in recognition of all their hard work doing double time as a parent and a student."
The response was immediate and heartwarming. During her 2024 delivery to Freyberg High School’s Teen Parent Unit, Belinda discovered an opportunity to do even more. The unit’s library needed refreshing, and she was ready to help.
Students in Teen Parent Units face unique challenges.
“Students may have missed some time out of school, and this can have an impact on their reading, both academically and for pleasure,” Belinda says.
She recognises that reading for pleasure “can improve life satisfaction, mental health, and even length of life”.
The HealthCarePlus Grant for Good provided the perfect solution.
“This funding is invaluable to this project,” Belinda says. “I can purchase new books for the Unit’s library, which is fantastic as we can get up-to-date books that the students want to read and not rely on donations or random second-hand books.”
For Belinda, the project represents more than just restocking shelves.
“It feels like such a privilege to be able to buy so many new books and to be able to gift them to such deserving and appreciative readers who will get so much out of them,” she says.
The initiative has established a valuable relationship between the Manawatu Literacy Association and local Teen Parent Units, extending community support where it’s needed most. As Belinda puts it, “The joy of reading a good, self-chosen book can be something that has been missed by many students at this age, and this will give that opportunity to the students in the Teen Parent Unit. That can make a real difference in their lives in a myriad of ways.”
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