Perry County homeless shelter met with resistance
NEW LEXINGTON – Clay Whissen and Isaac Cook weren't sure if they'd have a home for the holidays until they received life-changing news last week.
For more than three months, the couple had been living out of their minivan while waiting on beds at a shelter to open or their housing application to be approved.
Cook, 20, and Whissen, 23, suffered through the weather wherever they could safely park the van. Sometimes it was in Crooksville at the Circle K or at a candle shop parking lot. Other times, it was in the Cracker Barrel parking lot in Zanesville, where Whissen works as a server.
The more time they spent in that minivan, the more depressed Whissen and Cook grew. Whissen and Cook had to look in other counties to find a homeless shelter since there are none in Perry County, located about 50 miles southeast of Columbus.
“It's very, very stressful wondering where we're going to be able to shower and brush our teeth, and if we're going
Now, with the press of an onscreen button on a phone, Chromebook or tablet, age-appropriate books from the Columbus library’s 160,000 digital titles will be available free.
And while it’s true that kids already have access to public library books, not all have library cards. And not all families make going to the library a priority, say advocates of the new partnership.
“This partnership will provide CCS students with 24/7 access to CML ebooks and audiobooks using their school credentials. No library card needed!” Lynda Ray, multiple literacy specialist at Columbus City Schools, said in a written statement. “Students of all ages will benefit from reading more and improve comprehension.”
All public school children in Columbus are issued a student ID, with which they gain access to Sora.
And Sora supports teachers by offering education-specific tools like achievement progress for students, exportable notes, and reading data that encourage individualized learning. All of it at no extra cost to schools or libraries.
“We’re thrilled to strengthen our partnership with Columbus City Schools, removing barriers for its students and helping to equip them for a lifetime of success,” said Laura Simonds, director of collection services at Columbus Metropolitan Library.
Parents might find comfort in knowing their kids are limited to age-appropriate materials, Mason said.
“Schools pick what kind of books they want to make available for each age range,” she said.
The overarching goal is literacy, especially among young people.
“We want folks to have opportunities to read, and this provides another way to get books into the hands of kids,” Mason said.
The Sora app can be downloaded through the Apple App Store and Google Play, and on Chromebooks that support Google Play. It is also available for use in web browsers at soraapp.com on any computer. dnarciso@dispatch.com @Deannarciso