Local Woman Honored For Lifetime Commitment To Family Literacy

SOUTHOLD, NY — A local woman will be honored Thursday for her tireless work to imbue a love of literacy in the next generation.

The Southold Anti-Bias Task Force will celebrate Sarah Benjamin, awarding her the 2019 Helen W. Prince Award at a ceremony to be held at the Southold High School Library at 6 p.m. Benjamin was chosen for "her lifetime commitment to family literacy and early childhood education," according to the ABTF.

The Helen Wright Prince Award, established in memory of a woman who created the migrant labor camp school in Cutchogue, is meant to honor those who dedicate lives to "promoting diversity, unity, and fairness in our towns," Southold ABTF member Leroy Heyliger has said.

Thursday's event will also include an art exhibit featuring pieces created by kindergartners from Greenport, Southold and Cutchogue East Elementary Schools and by pre-school children from North Fork Head Start, the North Fork Early Learning Center and The Child's Garden.

Benjamin, former coordinator of the North Fork Parent-Child Home Program brings joy to local families as she arrives at their homes after school ready to open their eyes to the wonder of literacy.

Benjamin brings bags filled with toys and books, puzzles and learning games. The goal, Benjamin said, is to spend time with children and their parents, teaching moms and dads how to interact and play with their children, how to engage in memory-making moments and learning exercises that can build a foundation for excellence in school — and for a strong, loving relationship between parent and child.

CAST is marking six years in Southold Town of The North Fork Parent-Child Home Program. The site received national certification in November, 2015.

"The Parent-Child Home Program (PCHP), a research-proven home-visiting model, prepares young children for school success by increasing language and literacy skills, enhancing social-emotional development and strengthening the parent-child relationship which provides critical support to at-risk families," Benjamin said.

In addition, she added, "The program model promotes a safe and healthy development for children which ensures school success by stimulating reading, conversation, and play between parents and their children. The program helps parents create a language-rich home environment and prepares them to actively participate in their children's development and education."

In 2018, the Southold Town Anti-Bias Task Force awarded Brian Mealy with the 2018 Helen W. Prince Award; the award was created in 2015 to call the attention to and honor a community member in Southold who espouses those values.

In 2017, Dr. Anne W. Smith was chosen by the Southold Anti-Bias Task Force to receive the award, spotlighting civil and human rights and an ongoing mission to celebrate diversity.

And in 2016, voices filled with emotion and tears of gratitude, family, friends, and the many colleagues whose lives she's touched came together to honor longtime community servant Merle Levine, 92,who was presented with the second annual 2016 Helen Wright Prince Award.