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| "Is This Book For Me?" By Ofelia Saenz, Signal Tribune staff writer 
When the Knights of Pythias initiated their literacy program last year, about 100,000 books were collected throughout California. They set up libraries and gave away free books to kids through hospitals and children's clinics. The Pythians found it interesting that one of the most common responses from the young recipients was, "Is this book for me?" This year, the Knights of Pythias took their cue from the grateful expressions of the many children who received free books last year. "[The idea] came from them," said president of the Children's Welfare Foundation of the Lakewood/Long Beach chapter No. 403, Sir Melvin Pinkham. "So this year, we named [the literacy program] Is This Book for Me," and they had the slogan printed on tens of thousands of plastic bags that they will use this year to collect and distribute the books. Pinkham said the order has found over a hundred organization they can partner with to distribute the books, and the bags will be the central vehicle used in donation drives. They're testing the operation next week at a barbecue in the parking lot of Los Alamitos Hospital. "[The hospital] is giving a bag to every nurse and every employee and part of the barbecue is that they bring books," said Pinkham. He's hoping to encourage other organizations interested in getting involved by sponsoring their own donation drives. The Pythians will provide the bags and distribute the books. The literacy program is just one of the many charitable programs organized by the Knights of Pythias, a non-sectarian fraternal order dedicated to the safety and well-being of children. The organization has been in existence since 1864, and was the first American Order chartered by an Act of Congress. In 1946, the U.S. government deeded land in the Sequoia National Forest to them, which has since been used to send thousands of children to a youth camp at Kings Canyon Park. The youngsters experience an 8-day camping trip that includes a six-hour bus and train ride into the mountains, fishing, swimming, campfires, arts and crafts and scenic trips around the area to view some of the largest trees in the world. The last two years, the Knights of Pythias included children from the Las Brisas community in Signal Hill. Although in the past, funds to pay for them were raised in other communities, Pinkham is reaching out to the businesses of Signal Hill to establish a scholarship fund that will help cover the cost to send children from the area next year. "The experience is incredible," said Pinkham. "They come home enriched." For more information about these programs and others, contact Mel Pinkham at (562) 431-5376. |