Read Along Program with Krispy Kreme

Read Along Program

I must admit, I don't have a deaf friend nor a relative so it was not easy for me to be able to relate to people who are or have relatives who are deaf. But that doesn't mean we should care less.

Last week, I joined an intimate gathering called the "Read Along Program" with deaf kids and their teachers/trainers at Krispy Kreme Ayala Avenue branch. The teachers and volunteers are from Development and Accessibility Fund for the Deaf (DeAF Deaf) and Support and Empower Abused Deaf Children, Inc. (SEADC).

Krispy Kreme is supporting a series of cause-oriented projects led by its partner charities mentioned above starting with the Read Along Program.

Read Along Program at Krispy Kreme Ayala

This is in line with the celebration of their 75th year worldwide last 2012. This was also the year when  Krispy Kreme launched the Share the Gift of Joy campaign—an initiative that supports the brand’s 12 partner charities which care for the environment, creativity, lives, our animal friends, and of course, kids.

DeAF Deaf

Beyond Listening: Change and Learning

Beyond spreading  joy, the Read Along Program aims to put together and immerse people in the culture and language of the Deaf community.

The Read Along Program is meant to be a two-way educating session: Deaf children will be taught how to read and improve their vocabularies, while their hearing parents and peers will be shown their learning process and will be given tips on how to properly teach them.

This method is expected not only to bring joy to the kids but bring about change even with the teachers themselves.

The Deaf Children Role Playing

The Flowers (Left) & the Dark Cloud (Right)

Beyond one-way reading using the sign language, the Deaf kids and hearing participants will be reading books together—Ogost and CJ and The Flower Who Did Not Know God Was Protecting Her—written by DLS-CSB Filipino Sign Language student Happy Ruth Pamintuan.

There will also be an act-the-story game to challenge the comprehension of the Deaf kids, and basic sign language lessons to teach the hearing participants the three-dimensional language of signing to better communicate with the Deaf kids.

Krispy Kreme Tin Can

Krispy Kreme Share the Gift of Joy

Moreover, you can also share the gift of Joy with every Krispy Kreme tin cans bought. Php20 is given by Krispy Kreme to  Development and Accessibility Fund for the Deaf Inc.

Know more about the Read Along Program through Development and Accessibility Fund for the Deaf, Inc. at www.facebook.com/deafdeaforg. Check out Krispy Kreme's Facebook as well: www.facebook.com/krispykremeph

Needless to say, it was a humbling experience for me. I somehow was able to 'listen' to their smiles and the gestures of their hands. Hopefully, with such inspiration and dedication connecting more people, a better communication chain that goes beyond the tongue and ears will be able to touch hearts.