411 Pain - Read & Rise Program - Gift of Books

411 Pain Gives South Florida’s Children the Gift of Books With its Read & Rise Program

Walt Disney, who had one of the greatest imaginations the world has ever known said “There is more treasure in books than in all the pirate’s loot on Treasure Island.”   This from a man who dropped out
of high school at age 16 and went on to create an entire world based on stories and fantasy.

Like Disney, 411 Pain President Dr. Robert Lewin is also aware of the power of reading and he is committed to combatting childhood illiteracy.   “Every child deserves the opportunity to let their
imagination run wild,” says Dr. Lewin ,  who  gives tens of thousands of children that very opportunity every year with the 411 Pain Read & Rise program.   The program gives $5.00 reading certificates to thousands of children who redeem them to obtain books and magazines at annual  school book fairs.   Scholastic, the
world's largest publisher and distributor of children's books, gives the young readers a myriad of reading material to choose from.

According to the National Education Association, children who are read to at home have a higher success rate in school.  This program is designed to encourage children to read by allowing them to choose
and purchase a book of their own.  The students are also urged to take their new books home to share with their families.

If the thank you letters written by the children who benefit are any indication, the program is working.  The notes are thoughtful, insightful, and clearly express the love and gratitude they feel having
received the gift of a new book. Moises of Florida City Elementary School writes “thank you 411 Pain for the ticket because we like funny books, scary books, and cool books.”  His schoolmate Yoseline shares her awareness of the plight of some students who can’t afford to buy book in her letter.
She writes “thank you 411 Pain. You gave us money for our school and I thank you for the certificate because some people didn’t have money to go to the book fair. And since you gave us the certificate I got the book “Flat Stanley.” The teachers call the gesture on 411 Pain’s part generous and thoughtful.
Mrs. Calloway who teaches 4th and 5th grade writes in her thank you note, “The students loved the books.” Some of them even illustrated their messages as creatively as the pages in the story books they selected.

Reading is only part of Dr. Lewin’s crusade to encourage education for our children.   411 Pain also sponsors programs to send children to school with the proper supplies to earn the best education
possible.   There are also rewards programs to honor teachers who do go above and beyond to educate our children. Dr. Lewin reminds us all, a good education not only benefits our children, it benefits society as a whole.

411 Pain, an organization that helps people recover following car accidents, is also dedicated to preventing
the South Florida’s children from experiencing the social and psychological distress that comes with illiteracy.
Pain like drug abuse, unemployment and teen pregnancy all social ills which more often than not accompany
the inability to read.  With the Read and Rise program, children are inspired to read not only as a requirement for school, but also as a form of enjoyment that will follow them into adulthood.