OUR LEGACY TODAY Fall 2024 | Legacy Community Health Newsletter | LegacyCommunityHealth.org
Scout’s Honor: Aiden Pulido Builds a Legacy of Literacy for Little Readers A high school senior, Aiden Pulido is on a mission to earn his Boy Scout Eagle Scout rank. Central to this achievement is a community service project that showcases his leadership skills. As the son of two doctors, Aiden was determined to create a project with a health care focus. After careful consideration, he decided to construct bookshelves to promote literacy among children at hospitals and health clinics. “I was initially exploring larger health care centers for my project but wasn’t making much progress,” Aiden recalled. That’s when his mother, Dr. Lauren Ta, an OB/GYN at Legacy’s Gulfton Dashwood clinic, recognized that Legacy would be the perfect partner for Aiden’s initiative. “I connected him with the right people to get things moving,” she explained. Legacy’s Little Readers program has a long-standing commitment to fostering literacy. Pediatric patients receiving well-child visits are gifted free age-appropriate books and a “prescription to read.” Legacy has distributed more than 300,000 free books to infants and young children. The organization also provides reading areas in many pediatric clinics, allowing children to engage with books while waiting for appointments. Aiden collaborated closely with Little Readers coordinator Debbie Costello to align his project with Legacy’s mission. Together, they decided that Aiden’s five planned bookshelves would be placed in Legacy’s School-Based Health Clinics,
Aiden Pulido and John Simoneaux (SBHC) where students from KIPP, YES Prep, and Galena Park could read or select a free book during their visits. “I needed to partner with an organization I could trust, and Legacy was with me every step of the way,” Aiden shared. With a vision in mind, Aiden and his friends began sketching their ideas. Aiden and his dad assembled the bookshelves. Family and friends then gathered in Aiden’s garage to help paint the shelves in Legacy’s vibrant colors. The entire project took about two months. Then, Aiden and fellow project assistant John Simoneaux delivered the bookshelves to the SBHC clinics. “It was incredible to see the students at the schools when we delivered the bookshelves,” Aiden said. “Knowing that they would be using libraries I built made all the hard work worthwhile. This project was challenging, but thinking about the children I was helping kept me motivated.” Dr. Ta added, “Whenever I see a mother with her children, I want to offer her a book. Many parents bring all their kids to appointments, and having a book can engage them while they wait. It’s a wonderful way to promote literacy.”
Aiden and his mother Dr. Lauren Ta
Legacy’s Little Readers program thrives entirely on donor support, highlighting the importance of community generosity. Thanks to dedicated volunteers like Aiden, we continue to advance our mission of driving healthy change in our communities.
A Bright Future for Pediatric Care in Beaumont! Legacy is thrilled to announce a $150,000 gift from the Helen G. Bell Charitable Trust, presented by Hancock Whitney Bank VP Jean Moncla to Legacy’s Josh Davis, and these funds will directly support the development of pediatric facilities and services at our new clinic. This gift, earmarked for pediatric facilities, is an important donation to the capital campaign for our new Beaumont clinic.