The gift of reading: Books donated to children who have suffered abuse

The Children's Advocacy Center of Collin County served more than 4,700 children last year at its east Plano location.

Less than 15 percent of the center's funding comes from government sources, so the center is always looking for donations from individuals and corporations. While cash donations are always welcome, donations of materials and in-kind services are also appreciated, said Katy Emerson, community relations manager.

One such donation occurred Tuesday, when the Plano Republican Women's Club donated 14 books for the center's activity center.

"We have a literacy fund as part of our budget, and we chose the Advocacy Center because they do such wonderful things for the children and their families," said club member Donna Krauss. "They really work toward healing the physical and emotional trauma. They are very good at what they do."

The books were donated by members of the club, and all have one theme: United States history. The theme was no accident, Krauss said, adding that the group hopes to be able to provide "kid-friendly" copies of the Constitution to Plano ISD schools later this year.

"We think it is valuable that our young people not only know about this country, but really cherish it," Krauss said. "Whether it is with the Pledge of Allegiance or with patriotic songs ... there is a vast variety among the 14 books."

The activity center serves as a staging area for children before they undergo a forensic examination or interview, Emerson said.

"Some children like to have a book read to them while they are killing time and trying to take their mind off things," Emerson said. "Being a nonprofit, some of our stuff is dated. These books are new and nice, as well as being educational."

Currently, the Children's Advocacy Center of Collin County only has one branch, a fact that can prove difficult for the parents of children who don't live near the east Plano campus. To ease the burden on families who may live in communities such as Anna or Farmersville, a satellite branch is expected to open later this year in McKinney. With the opening of the branch, the need for private donations will also increase, Emerson said.

"We serve children in every ZIP code in Collin County every year, which is kind of a startling fact," she said. "Once we launch the satellite location it will take us about $3.5 million a year to keep our doors open and provide the same level of service to 100 percent of the kids in Collin County that need our services."

For information on the center, visit caccollincounty.org.

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