Michigan Author Donates Books to Help Military Kids in Michigan
Michigan Author Donates Books to Help Military Kids in Michigan
4/16/08
Contact: Michelle Lavra
517-432-1555, ext. 156
EAST LANSING, Mich. -- A program to help children and siblings of soldiers got a boost when Michigan author Johnathan Rand donated books as part of a special project. The program, Operation: Military Kids (OMK), is a nationwide initiative that supports children and siblings of deployed soldiers in the National Guard and Army Reserve. OMK in Michigan is part of the Michigan State University Extension 4-H Youth Development program. Rand is the author of a popular children’s book series, American Chillers.
“The youth here in Michigan involved in this program live in civilian communities without the traditional military network of support for families,” says Sheila Smith, program leader for 4-H Youth Development and co-director of OMK. Rand’s books will be included in OMK Hero Packs -- backpacks loaded with books, writing paper, stuffed animals and journals.
“I get lots of requests for donations,” Rand says. When the OMK request came in, he thought it sounded “really cool.”
“The Hero Packs are a good way to get books to deserving kids,” says Rand, who lives in Topinabee, overlooking Mullett Lake. He and his wife, Boots, travel most of the school year giving talks to kids at schools and libraries. “I talk about the importance of reading and writing. Not everyone will be an author, but if you can read and write, you can do anything.”
He writes 10 to 12 books per year and says he has “the best job in the world.”
The Michigan OMK team is pleased with Rand’s generosity.
“These books will bring a smile to the kids involved in this program,” Smith says, noting that some books have already been distributed in the Hero Packs.
Michigan’s Operation: Military Kids (OMK) is funded by a grant from the Army’s Child and Youth Services to Michigan State University Extension 4-H Youth Development. This is the third year of funding for OMK. OMK partners in addition to MSU Extension are the Michigan National Guard, Michigan units of the Army Reserve, the American Legion of Michigan, the Boys and Girls Clubs of America, Disabled American Veterans and the Michigan 4C Association (Community Coordinated Child Care).
Anyone interested in learning more about Operation: Military Kids can go to http://web1.msue.msu.edu/cyf/youth/omk.
Fast Facts about OMK:
** This project is a natural expansion of 4-H’s 12-year partnership with the Army that has created more than 300 4-H clubs on army installations in locations around the world, including one at Selfridge Air National Guard base in Michigan.
** The Speak Out for Military Kids portion of the OMK project is an opportunity for youth to gain confidence and experience in public speaking.
** 4-H clubs throughout Michigan are involved in OMK efforts, including writing letters to include in the Hero Packs, assembling and distributing Hero Packs, sponsoring youth speakers, helping military youth stay in touch with deployed family members and holding fund-raisers to support OMK efforts.
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