TRW Presents Box-of-Books to "Hope to GROW" Program Children
On
a Monday afternoon in November, parents and children who participated in the
"Hope to GROW" program gathered in the auditorium at Grape Street Elementary
School on 111th Street in Los Angeles. They were there to receive
a significant gift that would foster their learning throughout their high
school years.
Big green storage containers brimming with books were stacked near the stage behind the podium. Their contents marked the final step in the program's efforts to support children's learning, which has been the hallmark of Hope to GROW, directed by Dr. Virginia Long, counseling psychologist, Health Programs. TRW donated $5,000 toward a complete 13-book reference library for the children. In attendance was TRW's Carleen Beste, public affairs representative, who accepted a certificate of appreciation on behalf of the company.
The
Hope to GROW program, which began in 1997, encompassed 15 weeks per semester,
meeting on Saturday mornings. Starting bright and early at 8 a.m., "tutoring,
mentoring and creative recreation" helped children from three elementary schools
to "stretch and exercise their minds in a way that Saturday morning cartoons
never do," noted Long. The other two schools participating in Hope to GROW
were Ritter and Weigand elementary schools.
The books included an atlas, almanac, dictionary, thesaurus and encyclopedia. Bolstered by CSUDH student volunteers, the Hope to GROW program is a model for "communiversity" endeavors.
Assisting
Long in the program were CSUDH junior liberal studies major Sasha Alvarenga,
who helped select the books during the summer. Also present were CSUDH graduate
student Field Weber, working on her master's degree in education, and Marcus
Drew, coordinator of Healthy Start (formerly "Head Start"). Drew remarked
on the exemplary commitment shown by the people at Dominguez Hills, which
made the program succeed. He also pointed out that many CSUDH student volunteers
continued their service into the summer. Additionally, he paid tribute to
the parents, who rose very early each Saturday to make sure their children
were on time and participated.
-- P.H.
