Havre-Hill County Library kicks off summer reading program

The Havre-Hill County Library kicked off this year's summer reading program for local youth with a sign-up event featuring rock painting and hand tracing Wednesday.

Young students from around the area signed up at the library before grabbing brushes and pencils to have fun painting Kindness Rocks for the local community and hand tracings to decorate the library's walls for the Hands Across the Library Event.

Library Director Rachel Rawn said their summer reading program aims to keep local children reading throughout the summer, offering prizes for reaching milestones and for those who read the most over the summer.

Studies have consistently shown that students who read over the summer better maintain literacy skills and learn more when school resumes.

Rawn said the Friends of the Havre-Hill County Library helped pay for the event along with a donation from Town Pump.

Sign-up for the summer reading program will be open throughout the month, she said, and she's hoping to sign up as many young people as possible to take part in the program.

People are urged to sign up by July 1.

A release from the library said that, for every 100 minutes a participant under 18 records, they earn a raffle ticket toward the raffle prize of their choice.

The event isn't only for children. Participants 18 and older can earn a raffle ticket toward a shop-local gift bundle for every 100 minutes recorded.

People can submit minutes weekly in person or on the go by calling in or using a Google form linked on the library Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/havrehilllibrary and which will be linked on its website at https://havrehilllibrary.org .

The release said that, in line with the theme of All Together Now, the library plans to put together personal care kits that will be available free for anyone who needs one. The library is accepting donations of personal items to be put into the care kits, such as socks, soap, hand sanitizer, toothbrushes and toothpaste."

People can join the library staff Saturday, July 22, at 3:30 p.m. to put the kits together.

Once assembled, the kits will be made available to the public at the Havre-Hill County Library, Feed My Sheep Soup Kitchen, St. Jude Thaddeus Church, Van Orsdel United Methodist Church, HRDC Victim Services and the Salvation Army Office.