When Darlene Manthorpe saw the amount Oak Bay Kiwanis would donate to her West Shore literacy program she was certain it was a typo.

Even days later she was emotional talking about the $8,000 donation.

B次元官网网址淟ast year we only did seven days of events because at the end of the year we only had $99,B次元官网网址� Manthorpe said. B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e a little bit in the hole, so $8,000 means weB次元官网网址檒l be able to run our full flight of events next year.

B次元官网网址淓very other year we basically start out with no money, and we just start our events and hope the money will come in.B次元官网网址�

Each year the president of the Oak Bay Kiwanis gets to choose where to make a donation in what current president Leslie Johnston affectionately calls the B次元官网网址減residentB次元官网网址檚 choiceB次元官网网址�. Johnston, who lives in View Royal and has grandkids whoB次元官网网址檝e used the Books for Breakfast program. She strongly believes in kids having easy access to books and in parents reading to them.

B次元官网网址淟iteracy is a big deal in our family so thatB次元官网网址檚 where I was looking to put this money into the community, where kids get to read and get read to,B次元官网网址� said Johnston.

Manthorpe runs the Belmont Park Pre-School Society Books for Breakfast Program she started in 2007.

B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 really picky about the books we choose. We read two books and they get one of those books to take home,B次元官网网址� Manthorpe said. B次元官网网址淥ften parents have books at home, but the kids wouldnB次元官网网址檛 necessarily read them. We choose books that a parent, if they do have to read it 300 times, it may be OK.B次元官网网址�

Part of the official Westshore Community Literacy Plan, itB次元官网网址檚 a free family literacy program with monthly events from September through June, each coinciding with the school year. The program is open to any child six and under, in any community, and their parents or guardians. The program becomes a social event that includes breakfast, storytelling, songs, education and a book to take home.

B次元官网网址淲e want the kids and the parents to go away with that feeling that books are fun,B次元官网网址� Manthorpe said. B次元官网网址淭hey can connect the book with that social eventB次元官网网址� it doesnB次元官网网址檛 matter if their favourite thing is not the book, because they connect that to the reading of the book.B次元官网网址�

Each event, two in a day back-to-back, is limited to 100 kids. JohnstonB次元官网网址檚 grandchildren have been among them.

B次元官网网址淸Books for Breakfast] has kids that come all the way from Sooke and all the way from SidneyB次元官网网址� so itB次元官网网址檚 really well received,B次元官网网址� Johnston said.

Demand for the program increased each year and by the fifth year it outgrew its space in the school. Collaborating with the Military Family Resource Centre, they shifted events to the Colwood Pacific Activity Centre three years ago.

B次元官网网址淥ur operating budget is about $13,000 a year to run eight days, which is 16 events,B次元官网网址� Manthorpe said, adding as a non-profit, but not a registered charity, many grants arenB次元官网网址檛 available. B次元官网网址淚f I can find a really good book at a great price I can buy ahead of time now. ItB次元官网网址檒l save us money and the $8,000 will go even further.B次元官网网址�

editor@goldstreamgazette.com