Atlanta-Fulton County Children's Letter Writing Campaign

About the Program

Category: Volunteers (Best in Category)

Year: 2010

Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System’s Children’s Letter Writing Campaign offered young patrons an opportunity to practice their writing skills by composing letters of support to children of deployed military personnel. It was developed as a way to give even very young patrons a chance to volunteer and learn in a meaningful manner. An equally, if not more important goal was to give military children moral support from their peers. The campaign was kicked off at the Adamsville/Collier Heights Branch where the Commander of near-by Fort Gillem thanked the children for embarking on their letter writing efforts. This extended program concluded at the September 11 Day of Service and Remembrance event where children from local schools read their letters and presented a representative from Georgia’s Army National Guard Family Serves Division with a large red, white and blue box containing over 200 letters from children to children. A special tribute was also included in the campaign to honor Sergeant David Thrash, a children’s librarian at the Library System’s Alpharetta Branch, who is deployed in Afghanistan with the U.S. Marines. The campaign not only accomplished many practical goals, but also served as an emotional community tribute by honoring service in its many different forms. By the time the program concluded, over 200 children had written letters to military families. The campaign not only demonstrated the community’s support for our nation’s military, but also gave children valuable composition practice. It also gave librarians, teachers, parents and counselors an opportunity to help the children improve their writing skills.