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DECEMBER 27, 2023
SERVING THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES SINCE 1954
Children invited to read to a friendly dog BY FRANCINE FULTON
FL Church to offer Freedom Nights, winter VBS BY FRANCINE FULTON
PAWS for People; PAWS stands for pet-assisted visitation volunteer services. “We certify as a team together. I am the only one who can take her out to do activity,” noted Pruss.
Freedom Life (FL) Church will kick off 2024 with Freedom Nights - three consecutive nights of revival services on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, Jan. 3, 4 and 5, 2024, beginning at 7 p.m. at Freedom Life’s main campus, 447 Noble Road, Christiana. The events will feature upbeat worship, biblical teaching and special guest speakers. The community is invited to attend the services, especially newcomers to the church. “We want to kick off the year and dedicate the first part of it to the Lord and bring people together for worship and encouragement to set the course for the year,” said Angie Dearolf, FL communications director. Israel Campbell will be the featured speaker on Jan 3. Campbell co-leads Flourishing Church with his wife, Rachel, in the South Bay area of Los Angeles. Campbell is also author of “The Art of Sonship.” Campbell’s messages are known for their humor and practicality. Featured on Jan. 4 will be Josh Payne, who co-leads Victory Church with his wife, Marcia, in a rural area of Troy, Pa.
See Therapy dog pg 3
See Freedom Life pg 3
Winnie Walburn (right) reads to Penny the therapy dog and her handler, Angela Pruss (left).
they sit down, and she flops down next to them, and they read, and she gets petted. It’s a win-win for everybody.” Pruss added that children with any level of reading ability may
participate. “Some read just fine, but their parents bring them to get them used to a dog, so there is a double benefit,” she said. Penny and Pruss were trained, tested and certified through
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or children learning to read or struggling with reading, a friendly dog can be a great book sharing companion. As part of the PAWS for Reading program at Atglen Public Library (APL), children may read to a trained therapy dog on the second and fourth Tuesday of the month from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. Children, who may register for a 15-minute session, can bring a book from home or choose one from the library. On Dec. 12, Penny, a 9-year-old chocolate Labrador retriever, was on hand at the library with her handler, Angela Pruss of Oxford, who is a high school guidance counselor. The pair also visits the North East Library and the Elkton Library, both located in Cecil County, Md. The idea behind the program is to allow children to read in a stress-free environment. “She is a nonjudgmental listener,” said Pruss. “I tell the kids that if they struggle with reading, (Penny) can’t read at all, so she doesn’t mind.” She said that Penny’s size may be intimidating to children but that once they get to know her, the fear goes away. “She is a big, beefy dog, but she is very sweet and gentle,” said Pruss. “Some of the kids are apprehensive, but
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