My name is Emma Tomlinson, and I work as the Family Advocate and Reach Out and Read Colorado Site Coordinator at Pediatric Partners of the Southwest in Durango, Colorado. Pediatric Partners has given me almost three years of an inspiring and motivating work environment. I love my job because I get to work one-on-one with our families to coordinate a personal and comprehensive health plan to better the lives of our patients, and in turn, our community. The Reach Out and Read program adheres to this belief by providing the necessary tools for a successful future: books.
[su_quote]Emilie Buchwald once said, “Children are made readers on the laps of their parents”, and if we can provide the books for these parents, we have made readers ourselves.[/su_quote]
Because of this program, every single patient, no matter what demographic or status they are in, are given an equal opportunity to learn the importance of literacy. At Pediatric Partners, we give out books from 1 month old to 5 years old. In this time, parents/guardians are able to establish a relationship with their child with the books we provide. Most of the books that we order are dependent on the age and the life experiences that our patients are currently going through. Whether it be behavioral issues, nutritional struggles, or even difficulties with establishing a bedtime, these books are providing the lessons of becoming marvelous human beings. I feel extraordinarily blessed to be a part of the Reach Out and Read Colorado community, and to be guided by our dedicated Regional Coordinator, Mary Vozar. Emilie Buchwald once said, “Children are made readers on the laps of their parents”, and if we can provide the books for these parents, we have made readers ourselves.
