UPAWS encourages literacy with two new programs

MARQUETTE — A local animal shelter is committed to helping literacy in the Marquette area, with two new programs that were implemented recently.

UPAWS received a $2,500 check from Literacy Legacy Fund of Michigan to kick off their Read to Your Shelter Pet program, which invites people of all ages to read to shelter pets.

“The goal is to involve as many children and hopefully adults to participate here, so that the animals have loving attention,” said Nancy Wiseman Seminoff, LLF Board Chair. “And so that adults can come and be relaxed and read aloud to the pets, and everybody wins.”

Also implemented today at UPAWS is the use of a Little Free Library, which allows people to pick up and drop off books for people of any age.

“It’s all part of supporting literacy,” said Bob Stephenson, volunteer and steward of the little library at UPAWS. “It just happened to be a different way of doing it, and also doing it in support of a cause like UPAWS. We just thought it was a no-brainer to put it with the UPAWS’ kid’s programs with animals.”

For more information on the Read to your Shelter Pet Program or the Little Free Library, visit UPAWS’ website here.