United Way of Central Georgia Initiative FIRST STEPS will host its first virtual “Baby Book Club” this Friday, March 26^th at 6:30 pm.  FIRST STEPS is organizing the event focusing on early childhood literacy alongside United Way’s Parents as Teachers, the Alpha Rho Chapter of Lambda Kappa Mu, and Amerigroup. Baby Book Club will focus on the importance of reading to a baby from the very beginning (even before birth). Education is one of the main focuses of United Way of Central Georgia; literacy and reading play a huge role in a child being able to achieve his or her highest potential regarding education. All parents attending the event will receive FIRST STEPS’ resources, free books courtesy of Alpha Rho, and will be entered to win a gift card for their participation. Interested and eligible families will also be offered placement in United Way of Central Georgia’s Parents as Teachers program. Parents of eligible children will also be given the opportunity to sign up for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, one of United Way’s newest initiatives offering children free books once a month until they are five years old.

“It is always nice to work with partners like Alpha Rho and Amerigroup to help families to know how important it is to read to their children every single day! The Baby Book Club will expose families to our United Way of Central Georgia Birth - 5 initiatives like FIRST STEPS and Parents as Teachers where that messaging can be reinforced,” said Lauralen Avery, United Way of Central Georgia’s FIRST STEPS Coordinator. “FIRST STEPS provides connections for support to prenatal women and families with a child under age 5. It is the entry way to our evidenced - based Parents as Teachers program which supports parents as they work with their children toward their baby milestones, learning, and development.”

The event will be available to the first 20 families who sign up. Parents interested in Baby Book Club should contact Lauralen Avery at(478) 550-5727.

United Way of Central Georgia is a leading funder of health and human service organizations that have a measurable impact in fourteen Central Georgia counties and impact the lives of one in four local people annually. The annual campaign supports 43 programs along with 29 program partners. United Way initiatives include READ UNITED, MISSION UNITED, PINK PROMISE UNITED, RBI (Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities), Familywize, FIRST STEPS, myfreetaxes.com, Volunteer UNITED, The Merrie Christmas Project, Parents as Teachers, the Golden Eagle Awards, and Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. United Way of Central Georgia also funds a free, confidential seven-days a week, 24-hours a day information and referral line serving all of Central Georgia. Dial 2-1-1 to find or give help.  For more information about what United Way of Central Georgia is doing in the community, visit www.unitedwaycg.org.