The mission of Lemonade Bookstand is to provide literacy resources to children with mental and physical disabilities. By providing reading and writing materials we are giving these local children bibliotherapeutic tools, as well as educational supplies, to further their at home literacy learning and alternative healing. Any child living in Wicomico, Worcester, or Somerset county, ages 0-18, who has a behavioral, mental, emotional, physical, or learning disability are eligible to apply to be in our program.
Bibliotherapy is a tool used by many mental health care providers. Children can better identify their own feelings and issues when reading about others who are experiencing some of the same life obstacles that they are. They can relate to the characters in their stories and learn better vocabulary on how to express themselves. Reading also provides a healthy outlet and a chance to unplug and unwind. In addition, learning how to write for self-expression (through journaling and poetry) will give our children and teens a chance to develop a stress relief skill they can use for the rest of their lives.
At Lemonade Bookstand literacy is a priority for our children. When a child is faced with an educational barrier such as an emotional disorder, behavioral disorder, mental disorder, or physical disorder they will have stressors in their lives that their student counterparts may not have to struggle with. So, while trying to learn all the academic information they are required to, they are also learning to cope with their illnesses. For many of these children learning disabilities (such as dyslexia) are far more common and cause even more barriers. We want our children to be excited about their literacy education and not look at it as a chore or burden. We want to inspire them to want to read and write for their own personal fulfillment, which will also help them academically.
Learn more about Lemonade Bookstand at their website: https://lemonadebookstand.org/
