CSUN Students Give Books to Children

To promote a love of learning among preschoolers, Cal State Northridge students delivered hundreds of books Friday to low-income children at three Head Start sites in the San Fernando Valley.

The book donation was the culmination of a monthlong “Cuddle and Read” book drive sponsored by the University Ambassadors, a student community outreach group.

The college students presented the books to 3- and 4-year-olds attending morning and afternoon sessions at the Napa Center in Northridge, Sepulveda Center in North Hills and the Kalisher Center in San Fernando.

“This is our way of having a positive impact on the kids in the community, because someday they will be our students,” said Ludim DeManzano, CSUN director of student outreach and recruitment services, who oversees the 50-student Ambassadors group.

At the Kalisher Center, college students read stories before giving each of the 80 children two books. They also donated board games, dictionaries and reading resource materials to the center.

“This is really great for the children because usually we can only let them borrow books from the center,” said Kalisher Site Director Razeh Amin. “Now they get to take these books home and keep them.”

CSUN student Martha Ramirez, a 23-year-old occupational safety major, said she hoped the college students’ visit would inspire the youngsters to begin thinking about college--even at such an early age.

“If you talk to them about college when they are young, it will stay in their heads as they get older,” she said.