Thirteen energized and excited volunteers from Molina Healthcare delivered over 5,500 books to CCRC’s San Bernardino office on August 19th.
CCRC was the recipient of both Molina Healthcare’s quarterly “We Care” program, in which staff members donated new and gently used books, and a grant from the Molina Foundation, a national nonprofit that receives corporate support from Molina Healthcare.
Molina Healthcare is an organization that provides quality health services to financially vulnerable families and individuals. Associate Vice President of Community Engagement, Ruthy Argumedo, called the collective work between their healthcare offices and foundation an act of love. The books are in support of CCRC’s What a Difference a BOOK Makes campaign, which places books in the hands of children, helps build family libraries and encourages parent/child interaction through reading.
Literacy becomes not only a tool to build relationships within the family, but as CCRC’s Regional Director James Moses said, “These books and the relationships they foster are critical to the mission of children becoming successful adults. The whole community benefits when we have successful children.” The simple act of placing a book in the hands of a child not only encourages the child to explore through their imagination, but also builds the foundation for a child to grow and develop their minds as well as their skills.
Molina understands the correlation of literacy and community, and their support of the program has been considerable — from book donations to sponsorships. “We care deeply about helping children in their academic and personal achievement,” said foundation President and Founder Dr. Martha Bernadett about the program’s special donation visit to CCRC. “And we know that giving out learning materials can have a wonderfully positive impact on the kids and their families.”
The employees that served took time out of their workday as a part of Molina Healthcare’s Volunteer Time Off program that gives staff an opportunity to volunteer in the community. Volunteers sorted the books into age appropriate categories and took time to write messages of encouragement to the future owners of the new books. The donated books will replenish CCRC’s rotating inventory. CCRC provides books to children who visit their offices or sites, are in their programs and attend community events.
The long-standing collaborative relationship between Molina Healthcare and CCRC is based on their aligning missions and vested interest in bettering the lives of the children and families they serve. Both advocate for the importance of building strong relationships with those in their programs, their partners and the greater community. Click here to learn more about Molina Healthcare.
