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A novel group of avid readers
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BY: ARLENE FINE Senior Staff Reporter
Every Monday evening, rain or shine, Debra Goldfarb, 42, is dropped off at the doorstep of Starbucks at Chagrin and Green.
She rushes into the coffee shop to meet and greet her fellow book club members.
“I like to read about horses because I once rode one,” enthuses Goldfarb as she holds up her personal copy of Black Beauty. “This is my book to keep, and I even made my own bookmark with a horse on it.”
Goldfarb and five other mentally challenged women meet at Starbucks every Monday evening to socialize, have a tall glass of passion fruit iced tea, and read and discuss a book of their choice and reading level.
They are members of the Next Chapter Book Club, led by volunteer Kathy Leb, the ombudsman for Ascentia, Jewish Family Service Association’s (JFSA) mental health program. Leb’s co-volunteer is her 17-year-old daughter Amanda.
Leb began the group a year ago. “I liked the concept of facilitating a book club that promotes literacy and social connectedness for people with disabilities,” she says.
Leb is amazed at the impact the group has had on participants’ socialization and oral reading skills.
“When we first began, a few of the women had such low self-esteem they were barely able to read one sentence aloud,” she says. “Now they read much more comfortably and freely participate in discussions. We never hesitate to look up new, tricky words so everyone can improve their vocabulary.”
After group member Cheryl Strive effortlessly reads an entire page of Black Beauty, she gets a round of applause from the group. Strive, 43, earned her GED last month and was given a $500 scholarship to attend classes at Tri-C. “I’m going to get a degree,” she proudly announces.
So far the group has read One Hundred Dresses and adapted versions of classics Shiloh and Black Beauty. Next month Leb has arranged for members to meet at JFSA to see a film of “Black Beauty” and have a pizza party.
Like other Next Chapter Book Clubs, Leb’s JFSA group meets in a community gathering place rather than a sheltered workshop or an institution. “Our goal is for participants to feel part of the general community and for people in the community to see our members enjoying reading, socializing and a beverage,” says Leb. “Just like everyone else.”
The cost of the book club is nominal. Most of the group members live in a supervised setting and arrive at Starbucks either on transportation provided by their group home, on a TC3 van or an RTA assisted mobility bus, or with a JFSA driver. Cost of the books is underwritten by a private JFSA donor.
The Lebs volunteer their time, and Starbucks provides complimentary drinks and a sunny section of the coffeehouse for the weekly discussion group.
Leb is hoping to start a second NCBC that focuses on current events, using newspapers, like the Cleveland Jewish News, for reading material. She already has an offer from Caribou Coffee at LaPláce to host the next reading club there.
“There is a misperception that mentally challenged men and women do not read or enjoy literature,” explains Leb. “Our book club proves that is absolutely not true.”
As Goldfarb smiles proudly after reading a few sentences from her book, she says, “I love this reading group.”
afine@cjn.org
She rushes into the coffee shop to meet and greet her fellow book club members.
“I like to read about horses because I once rode one,” enthuses Goldfarb as she holds up her personal copy of Black Beauty. “This is my book to keep, and I even made my own bookmark with a horse on it.”
Goldfarb and five other mentally challenged women meet at Starbucks every Monday evening to socialize, have a tall glass of passion fruit iced tea, and read and discuss a book of their choice and reading level.
They are members of the Next Chapter Book Club, led by volunteer Kathy Leb, the ombudsman for Ascentia, Jewish Family Service Association’s (JFSA) mental health program. Leb’s co-volunteer is her 17-year-old daughter Amanda.
Leb began the group a year ago. “I liked the concept of facilitating a book club that promotes literacy and social connectedness for people with disabilities,” she says.
Leb is amazed at the impact the group has had on participants’ socialization and oral reading skills.
“When we first began, a few of the women had such low self-esteem they were barely able to read one sentence aloud,” she says. “Now they read much more comfortably and freely participate in discussions. We never hesitate to look up new, tricky words so everyone can improve their vocabulary.”
After group member Cheryl Strive effortlessly reads an entire page of Black Beauty, she gets a round of applause from the group. Strive, 43, earned her GED last month and was given a $500 scholarship to attend classes at Tri-C. “I’m going to get a degree,” she proudly announces.
So far the group has read One Hundred Dresses and adapted versions of classics Shiloh and Black Beauty. Next month Leb has arranged for members to meet at JFSA to see a film of “Black Beauty” and have a pizza party.
Like other Next Chapter Book Clubs, Leb’s JFSA group meets in a community gathering place rather than a sheltered workshop or an institution. “Our goal is for participants to feel part of the general community and for people in the community to see our members enjoying reading, socializing and a beverage,” says Leb. “Just like everyone else.”
The cost of the book club is nominal. Most of the group members live in a supervised setting and arrive at Starbucks either on transportation provided by their group home, on a TC3 van or an RTA assisted mobility bus, or with a JFSA driver. Cost of the books is underwritten by a private JFSA donor.
The Lebs volunteer their time, and Starbucks provides complimentary drinks and a sunny section of the coffeehouse for the weekly discussion group.
Leb is hoping to start a second NCBC that focuses on current events, using newspapers, like the Cleveland Jewish News, for reading material. She already has an offer from Caribou Coffee at LaPláce to host the next reading club there.
“There is a misperception that mentally challenged men and women do not read or enjoy literature,” explains Leb. “Our book club proves that is absolutely not true.”
As Goldfarb smiles proudly after reading a few sentences from her book, she says, “I love this reading group.”
afine@cjn.org
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