The Jean Marie Cardinell Chapter NSDAR took on the Storybook Project for one of its projects for the 2014-2015 year.
The Storybook Project recruits, screens and trains volunteers to work with incarcerated parents and/or grandparents at the Iowa Correctional Institute for Women (ICIW) in Mitchellville and the Newton Correctional Release Center (CNRC) in Newton. Once per month, volunteers work with the mother, grandmother or father. The parent/grandparent and volunteer choose a book from the Storybook library that is appropriate for the child. The parent or grandparent reads the book while the volunteer records the reading onto a digital voice recorder. The book and CD are then mailed to the child.
Even though their mothers can’t be with them to read bedtime stories, the children can still hear special messages thanks to the Storybook Project. The program provides comfort to children each month by offering them a recording of their mothers reading books.
The Chapter donated more than 200 children’s books. Jennifer Ewing, chapter vice regent, delivered the books to Tabby Kuehl, volunteer coordinator.