Books for Babies
Every once in a while, we come across a story that shows how great Lincoln Kids are at taking care of each other. Ellie Hiser had a dream of making books accessible to all kids in our city, and through hard work and building relationships, she was able to make that dream a reality.
Hello, Ellie! Tell us about yourself.
My name is Ellie Hiser, I am 15 years old, and I am a sophomore at Lincoln East High School.
How did Books for Babies come about? Can you describe the process of taking your idea from paper to real life?
I developed a heart for this project when I was in 3rd grade because I had a love for reading and wanted to share that with other kids. Then I learned that some children do not have books in their homes and identified how great the need really was when my mom volunteered in Iowa as a Court Appointed Special Advocate. Last summer, I reached out to Bryan Health to see about making this dream a reality. They embraced the idea and we partnered with CHI Health St. Elizabeth and the Lincoln City Libraries to roll out Books for Babies in all of the Lincoln hospitals.
In practice, how does Books for Babies work?
Books for Babies works to provide the family of every baby born in Lincoln hospitals with a board book and educational resources on the importance of reading, as well as tips on how to read to their babies. This is made possible by grant funding from the Community Health Endowment, Bryan Health, CHI Health St. Elizabeth, and private donors.
