Tierney to visit LCHC for federal outreach

LYNN-Congressman John Tierney (D-Salem) is expected to pay a visit to the Lynn Community Health Center today to promote the federal Reach Out and Read (ROR) program.As part of the program, doctors and medical staff at Lynn Community Health Center are sending their youngest patients home with free books and educational advice for parents as part of the initiative to get parents to read to their children every day.Tierney will visit the practice at 11:30 this morning along with Executive Director of Lynn Community Health Lori Abrams Berry, ROR coordinator Cindy Steger-Wilson, Lynn Community Health Community Relations Director Debbie Smith Walsh and ROY Provider R. Eileen Fisk.The group will speak to parents and children, along with providing age appropriate bilingual books for students.The national ROR program focuses on the children most at risk for learning disabilities, children aged 6 months to 5 years living at or near the poverty level.Doctors participating in ROR distribute carefully-selected, new developmentally appropriate books including bilingual books that are available in 12 different languages. Each child who participates in Reach Out and Read starts kindergarten with a home library of up to 10 books and a parent who has heard at every regular checkup about the importance of books and reading.The event will take place from 11:30-12:20 today at the Lynn Community Health Center Women, Infants and Children waiting room on the 1st floor at 23 Central Ave.