3,000 Free Books for Columbia Kids Thanks to Wenatchee First United Methodist Church

Volunteers from Wenatchee First United Methodist Church gave away books to students at Columbia Elementary today.  The book giveaway supports summer reading programs at Columbia Elementary School. 

This year, First United Methodist Church (FUMC) collected 3,030 new and used books for the event. The church’s Columbia School Partnership team spent the year searching for and mending used books. Some books are new and donated by church and community members. Each student, kindergarten through fifth-grade, received 5 books of their choice. Teachers were free to choose books for their classrooms after the students have made their selections.

Over the last 4 years, First United Methodist’s Columbia School Partnership Committee and church members have served in many ways: Classroom volunteer helps the students and the teachers in daily activities. Lunch buddies bring new friendships to both the student and the volunteering adult. There have been several short-term opportunities for volunteering: vision and hearing screening, picture day, IDEA Project, various field trips, and for the past two years, organizing and running Math Pi Night.

Wenatchee First United Methodist Church’s congregation has also supported the Columbia School Partnership mission financially over the past four years.  They generously contributed gifts and food for up to 12 families during the Christmas season, established an Emergency Fund to help families through a difficult time, purchased a wireless microphone system for use during large group activities and helped purchase of a large screen projector system for the lunchroom. They have supplied snacks for the classrooms and this past winter, FUMC worked with the PTO to purchase Buddy Benches for the playground.