Alison Cunningham loves reading to children. This very act makes her an angel; but no ordinary angel. She’s a Pyjama Angel – one of many volunteering their time to help children in foster care to improve their literacy, listening and learning skills. There are ‘angels’ out there in the guise of everyday people, whose love for books and children drive them to share a great gift – a passion for reading.
These angels are part of the Brisbane-based not-for-profit organisation the Pyjama Foundation. Pyjama Angels deliver read-aloud programs to children in foster care to improve their literacy, listening and learning skills. One of those angels, Alison Cunningham, has been volunteering her time with the organisation for more than two years. Having spent some of her life as a school teacher, Alison knows the importance and value of literacy, particularly for children in their developmental years. “If a child is able to read, it gives them a strong foundation for life,” she said. Alison became involved with the Pyjama Angels when her children and grandchildren grew too old to be read to. “I spent most of my life as mother and a grandmother, and I got to the stage where I did not have anyone at home to read to,” she said. “So I went looking for someone.
“I started reading with a nine-year-old boy and did that for six months. He went up a grade in his reading and began reading with expression.
“I now read to another young lad in grade 1. He has ADHD
and lives with his great-grandmother.
“I read to him once a week for an hour and I do foundational maths with him.” The Pyjama Foundation has a well-equipped library with lots of resources. “There is plenty of support and training so you can give the kids what they need,”Alison said. “Kids are generally in care because something traumatic happened to get them there, but we do not talk about that – we just meet them where they are at.” Pyjama Angels deliver The Pyjama Foundation Love of Learning Program which focuses on literacy-based mentoring. The foundation has a goal to read every child in foster care 1000 books. Winter warmers needed When it’s cold outside, there’s nothing more comforting than snuggling up in your warm winter PJs. But children in crisis often end up in foster care with only the clothes on their backs. And this is where The Pyjama Foundation steps in. Its Pyjama Drive encourages people to donate new pyjamas (winter or summer), from sizes 0000 to adult, to help the 31,000 children in foster care. Pyjamas can be posted to The Pyjama Foundation, Level 1, 7 Hudson Road, Albion, 4010, or can be dropped at a number of locations throughout Queensland. The foundation asks for the tags to be left on to help with sorting.
Information on 3262-5569. Member for Fisher Peter Slipper’s Buddina office is another collection point.
Mr Slipper’s wife Inge is a Pyjama Foundation volunteer and encourages people in the region to leave pyjamas at the office in the Cartwright Centre, Nicklin Way, Buddina. |
