| It's a boy! I'm a grandmother! And just like that, my life has changed and I am in love again. This is my first grandchild and I’m told by my friends who are already grandmothers that there’s nothing like it. Charles Baxter Gros weighed in at 5 lbs 12 oz. in Washington, DC on the 18th of January.
When I hold little Charlie in my arms, I feel like the luckiest person in the world. I can’t wait to teach him how to swim. And to cuddle up on the couch and read books to him. I want to tell him stories. Help him catch his first fish. Watch the joy on his face as he pulls in a wriggling crab on a hunk of chicken neck. And build sandcastles and eat hot dogs on the beach with him. We will have fun.
He has smart well-educated parents who are already talking about which schools to send him to. His college fund is already started. In the end, he’ll learn more than I will ever know.
Charlie is a lucky little boy. Not all kids are as fortunate to be born into such a stable and loving home. I don’t have to look too far to find kids here in Southside Hampton Roads who are homeless, with single parents who are struggling to survive. And here’s the thing. We can all help them.
There is an amazing organization in Norfolk called REACH. It stands for Reading Enriches All Children. REACH is a small army of volunteers who go into our area homeless shelters and read to the children who are staying there. It’s a weekly event for the kids, when books are read aloud to them. At the end of each session they are given two new books to keep. By promoting a love of books, volunteers help the children increase their chance for success in the world. And the commitment for a Read-Aloud volunteer is just one hour, once a month.
 Ultimately, I believe the key to virtually everything in life is learning how to read. I learned that from my grandmother, and I’ll pass it along to little Charlie. And to other kids I meet along the way. I invite you to read the REACH article on page 35, to see how you can support this wonderful program.
Barbara Errickson
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