Community Partnership for Child Development (CPCD) received overwhelming support from the community during its book drive held throughout the month of October in honor of Head Start Awareness Month. The book drive was sponsored by Aspen Auto Clinic and raised more than 250 children’s books to benefit CPCD’s STAR (Sit Together and Read) Literacy Program.

CPCD operates Head Start, Early Head Start, and the Colorado Preschool Program in El Paso County. As part of its mission, the agency promotes early literacy development by getting books into the homes of children from families living in poverty, who do not have the resources to build a home library. STAR encourages CPCD parents to begin developing literacy skills early by reading with their child 15 minutes a day, five days a week, for a total of five hours a month. Families who complete their monthly five hours receive free books each month to take home and build their home library.

“Aspen Auto Clinic was invaluable in enabling CPCD to continue placing books directly into the hands of children and families in need through its STAR program,” said CPCD CEO Noreen Landis-Tyson. “Our partnerships within the community are what define us and help us carry out our mission as we serve nearly 2,000 children and families living in poverty in El Paso County.”

CPCD is a nonprofit organization that provides free comprehensive early childhood and family development programs for families with children, age 0-5, who are living in limited income homes, have special needs or experience other adverse circumstances that could challenge their school readiness. CPCD serves nearly 2,000 children each year in El Paso County through Early Head Start, Head Start and the Colorado Preschool Program. For more information, visit www.cpcdheadstart.org.