Lakeland Students Donate Books to Open Door Clinic

Lakeland students have collaboratively lead fundraising efforts throughout the district. 

Members of the Lakeland High School National Honor Society, led by advisor Beverly Griffin, organized and packed "gently used" books collected from families from the five elementary schools.

On Feb. 15 they donated them to the national "Reach Out and Read" initiative, sponsored by Westchester's Open Door clinic.

The "Reach Out and Read" initiative prepares children to succeed in school by partnering with doctors to prescribe books and encourage families to read together, said James VanDelevde, the district's communications director.

The Open Door clinics provide affordable health care to low income families, who might not be able to afford a physician. Every child is given a book of their own to bring home.

"We are extremely grateful to our Lakeland family for the generosity they've shown through these donations," Griffin said. "Clinic representatives and Melissa Mardit from "Reach Out and Read"/Americorp were extremely impressed by both the number and quality of the books that were collected."