Sharing The Joy of Reading
/Nico Blesses CFNA Students Through Books and Service
“...how everyone, even the young, can use their gifts to serve and bless others...”
Nico, a rising sixth grader at Christ Community Lutheran School (CCLS), recently partnered with Christian Friends of New Americans to share his love of reading with the youth at CFNA’s After School Tutoring program. What began as a school project soon became a meaningful opportunity to bless refugee children through books, service, and encouragement.
As part of his Character Formation project, Nico researched Sarah Rector, the first African American woman to become a millionaire. Inspired by Sarah’s courage, responsibility, and generosity in helping improve schools for minority children, Nico began thinking about how he could make a difference in the lives of others.
“I enjoy reading and am blessed to have access to books through the library, and at my school and home,” Nico shared. “I know that not all children are blessed with access to books. I wanted to help others have books to read.”
What started as a simple idea quickly grew into a larger community effort. Nico collected 116 books from family and friends. After teachers at Lutheran South heard about the project, they donated another 50 books from their homes. CCLS also joined in, contributing more than 300 books from the elementary library and learning lab. In total, nearly 500 books were donated for the children and youth at the CFNA Peace Center.
Nico’s service did not stop there. Along with donating books, he helped organize the purchase and assembly of a bookshelf for the classroom so the books could be easily accessed and enjoyed by students. He also provided two comfortable chairs at the CFNA Peace Center to create a welcoming reading space for children at the tutoring program. When asked what he hoped would happen through the project, Nico simply said, “I hope that the books will be read and enjoyed for many years to come by the youth at the Peace Center.”
Nico also joined CFNA for the After School Tutoring “end-of-year” celebration, where he helped students select books to take home for summer reading. Seeing the excitement of the children made a lasting impression on him. “It made me very happy and proud to help the students choose books to take home,” he said. “I was also inspired to want to help at CFNA in the future.”
CFNA is a unique place where people of all ages can use their God-given gifts to serve and love their neighbors. Nico’s story is a reminder that even the young can contribute to Kingdom impact - “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.” (Proverbs 22:6)
If you have a skill, an idea, or a desire to serve, we would love for you to become part of the story God is continuing to write through CFNA.
By Amy Zeigler (CFNA)
through Debbie Davis (Lutheran South) interview with Nico
