'Cultivates a love for learning’: LunchBoox puts books in the hands of Plainfield children

PLAINFIELD – Lunch boxes traditionally contain food that fill youngsters' hungry stomachs.

But SMARTplainfield's LunchBoox program feeds students' imagination.

Under the auspices of SMARTplainfield, a nonprofit organization dedicated to enhancing public education and encouraging civic engagement in the city, LunchBoox puts physical books in the hands of children.

The program was the brainchild of SMARTplainfield Executive Director Katherine Balch.

"My interest in improving public education formalized with the SMARTplainfield group," Balch said. "And then I came up with this idea to give away books to kids. I realized most Plainfield students had no access to a new physical book. Many families in our district also had no internet access, so free sources of entertainment, information, and comfort were hard to come by."

Balch, who had moved to Plainfield from Fanwood nine years ago, reached out to her friend Carol Campbell, president of the Friends of the Fanwood Library, and asked if people who donate children's books to the Friends Book Sale would be willing to donate them to Plainfield kids.

"She responded by delivering dozens of boxes of reading material," Balch said.

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Since it began in 2020 with no money and only donated books, LunchBoox has grown. In the past year the program has attracted more than $1,000 in donations, 11 volunteers, and invitations from every Plainfield school to have a table at community events.

LunchBoox also has been the recipient of grants. For the second consecutive year, the Plainfield Foundation awarded SMARTplainfield a $10,000 grant in January.

"We are thrilled to receive such abundant funding for books," Balch said. "Now we can continue to buy books students want to read, stories that resonate with their own lives."

LunchBoox partners with the Plainfield Public School District, which has an enrollment of about 10,000 students in 14 schools. According to the state Department of Education, only half the students speak English on a "very well" level, and two-thirds come from low-income households.

"By fostering the true spirit of collaboration, we empower students to take ownership of their education," said Plainfield Superintendent Rashon K. Hasan. "This not only cultivates a love for learning but also instills a sense of responsibility and engagement. Increased access to books tailored to students' interests is a key element in helping students develop a love for reading. This not only broadens their literary horizons but also fuels their passion for knowledge. By fostering the true spirit of collaboration, we empower students to take ownership of their education."

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Almost 2,700 students have been given nearly 12,700 books in the LunchBoox program through July.

Beginning with the spring showcase of student projects, LunchBoox volunteers appeared at summer learning academies, STEM and arts camps, movie nights, student concerts and spelling bees. Volunteers also read to students and gave away books to classes. In the new school year, Balch is adding calendar dates for LunchBoox, beginning with school ice cream socials, school orientations and back-to-school nights.

At an event, students may choose any book on the LunchBoox table.

"Their face completely lights up when they discover the book is free and they can take it home to keep," said Gayle Jones, a LunchBoox volunteer. "The most popular titles, like Disney stories or graphic novels, are snapped up before we even finish setting up the table."

Balch wants to make reading fun and more importantly, a way of life.

"The students see us handing around books, and it's not just any books, and it's not just books that they're supposed to read − it's books they want to read," Balch said. "I get requests from high school students for Dogman books. That's cool. I don't care if it's 10 minutes of comic books. It's the habit of reading I want to instill."

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Last fall, LunchBoox began going to pre-K classrooms. Each month Balch goes to a class and reads a story or two. Then, students go to the table and pick out a book of their own.

LunchBoox also donates books to the children at the Angels for Action center founded by Carmen Salavarieta. Angels for Action, a nonprofit, offers free education and community services, such as computer literacy, English, career training and advocacy for individual rights. Most clients are immigrants from Central and South America.

LunchBoox also partners with the duCret Center of Art, the Friends of the Fanwood Memorial Library and the Plainfield Public Library, which produces bookmarks that lead young readers from the book in their hands to those at the public library.Tim O’Connor, director of the duCret Center of Art, offered LunchBoox space in the historic duCret house to store excess books. In turn, SMARTplainfield connected O'Connor with teachers to identify students who want to attend free summer art classes.

email: cmakin@gannettnj.com

Cheryl Makin is an award-winning features and education reporter for MyCentralJersey.com , part of the USA Today Network. Contact: Cmakin@gannettnj.com or @CherylMakin . To get unlimited access, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: 'Cultivates a love for learning’: LunchBoox puts books in the hands of Plainfield children