Rotary Club Donates Books to the Hospital

The following is a press release from the .

The Rotary Club of West Chester Downtown actively promotes literacy at home and abroad. Last month, members of the Rotary Club of West Chester Downtown donated 1,000 children's books by author Bruce Larkin to The Chester County Hospital's Emergency Department and Prenatal Clinic. The books are for pre-kindergarten to the second grade reading level, and include titles in both English and Spanish.

The Chester County Hospital was delighted to receive this donation. Betty Brennan, Director of the Emergency Department states, "We are very pleased and honored to receive this important gift of books from the Rotary. For our pediatric patients and visitors, a visit to an emergency department can be frightening and difficult. The books will make the children feel special, and help to reduce the stress that they feel. We are very appreciative of this special gift."

In addition, Deb Mellon, Nurse Practitioner Outpatient OB/GYN, states, "The generous book donation from the Rotary Club gives many of our patient's children the opportunity to own a book of their own. The Prenatal Clinic serves uninsured and underinsured families of Chester County; therefore, many of these families do not have the resources available to purchase books for their children. This was extra special since the books were available in Spanish and English."

When asked what inspired the donation, Carol Metzker, Past President of the West Chester Downtown Rotary Club, relayed the experience of one of the Rotarians visit to the Emergency Department with her six-year old niece. "Since she was rushing out of the house to get to the Emergency Department, she didn't have the opportunity to pack any toys. After the visit, she thought that this would be a perfect project for Rotary, supplying the Hospital with books to be available for situations like this."

The staff at The Chester County Hospital are committed to making lives better every day. This donation from the Rotary helps to provide a positive experience for the Hospital's patients and their families.

The Rotary Club of West Chester Downtown leads and participates in a wide array of local and international service projects. Members are delighted to support programs at The Chester County Hospital and contribute to its work on behalf of our community. For more information on the club, please contact Carol Metzker, Past President of the Rotary Club of West Chester Downtown at 610.793.4387.