**An OLPH teacher welcomes the Rotary Club of Downey. Photo by Lorine Parks**

A procession of the tiniest tots imaginable filed into the gym at Our Lady of Perpetual Help School and clustered about two blue-cloth clad tables where a colorful collection of children’s books was displayed.

Helen Haas, vice principal of the school and the coordinator of the Dual Language Program at OLPH, welcomed members of the Rotary Club of Downey. The children serenaded us with Jingle Bells, a song that our club has been practicing to sing at our own Christmas party with Downey Unified School District children at our annual luncheon. The guitar playing helped. The children presented President Nate Mahoney with a red yarn-tied bundle of thank-you letters, one from each child, and the word Rotary was carefully spelled correctly throughout.

**Helen Haas, OLPH vice principal in charge of the school’s dual language program. Photo by Lorine Parks**

The City of Downey now boasts a Hispanic population of over 73%, and OLPH is the only school in our city that is offering a Dual Immersion Literacy program. It begins in TK kindergarten and will follow the grades as the students advance. The program teaches bi-lingual reading skills to TK through 2. That is to say, in transitional kindergarten (3-year olds); pre-kindergarten (aged 4); and then to kindergarteners, first, and second graders (we’re up to age 7 now).

Money for books, lots of it, is available from Rotary District 5280, through the Simplified District Grant Program. All that a club has to do is ask for it.

“Fill out a few paper forms, but that’s what we’ve been doing all our lives,” said Rich Strayer, one of several club members on hand for the official presentation of the gift of the books. Rich wears many hats: district coordinator for the Guatemala Literacy Program (GLP) program; international chair for the Downey club; record –holder for bringing in the most new members to the club. What brings him here today, all the way from his office in Anaheim? “I’m a Rotarian,” said Rich. It’s as simple as that.

Nate and Rich were joined by fellow club members Jesse Vargas, Greg Welch, Ray Mesler and Barbara Lamberth. Barbara is the treasurer and one of the instigators in getting the grant. The Rotary Foundation is the source of money for all projects, and under the tutelage of District Foundation Chair Doug Baker, a Downey Rotarian, our club successfully applied before the deadline for books to aid in this pioneering project.

Our own Diane Davis, who worked at OLPH, made the recommendation. We are rich in resources, these members who remain connected even when work and circumstance scatter them away.

How much did all these books cost? “$2,000 from the district, and $750 from our club,” said Barbara. “And we will be reimbursed. So it literally costs nothing for a club to take an active part and make a difference in their community.”

That makes sense, because after all, where does the District Foundation get its funds? From the dues-paying club members.

“In the next six months,” said Barbara, “we will continue to support the school with reading and judging, which we can also share with the club and community and District 5280. As part of the program, parents also will benefit by reading to their children in dual languages.”

Sustainability is a keyword in obtaining a grant. This program will grow with each school year: books will be purchased at the next grade level as the children advance insuring that their dual languages continue in all aspects of their education.

Implementation is something the district looks for when awarding a grant to a club. “The school has a speech contest,” said Barbara, and Rotarians will be judges and be able to see how the dual language books have improved the children's speaking ability.”

Our Downey Club has a tradition of taking an interest in children’s literature. Each week we physically get to inspect and handle a book purchased with our yearly donation to the Downey City Library’s Children’s Room. We see how inspiring biographies can be, about individuals who model American citizenship and ideals. And how books help build students’ social-emotional awareness and social studies skills.

**Second graders smile their thanks for the books for their classroom libraries.**

The children volunteered that their homes were bi-lingual. “My father is from Mexico, my mother is from El Salvador,” said Isabella, a first-grader. She was joined by Alesandra, Edwin, and Alexander in professing a love of reading.

“I speak two languages too,” said Jesse Vargas, as we chatted with the little ones. Jesse and the children switched back and forth, using Spanish words here and English there.

These skills will be with the students throughout their time in school and for their lifetime after that.

Downey Rotary uses grant to purchase books for OLPH students