Reading Together is a Check-Up From the Neck Up

This May, Monument Health came together with the Porter Project to provide a free book to more than 2,000 families of second grade students in the Black Hills. While that alone is exciting, there is much more that makes up the Porter Project.

Sean Covel, a film and television producer from the Black Hills of South Dakota, most commonly known for his movie Napoleon Dynamite, started a fun and interactive children’s book series called Porter the Hoarder. Joining Sean in the creation of this series is illustrator Rebecca Swift. Rebecca, also from South Dakota, is an illustrator, singer-songwriter (having been on American Idol) and a professional makeup artist. Together, the two brought Porter to life as she invites readers into an interactive journey that blends the excitement of a ‘Look-and-Find’ adventure with the warmth of a ‘Read-with-Me’ experience.

Tailored for both the Littles and the Bigs — parents, grandparents and siblings — this storybook promises delightful moments for all. A prescription for collaboration The most recent book is “Porter The Hoarder and the Hospital Hijinks.” The goal for readers is to assist Porter in her quest to uncover beat-up bedpans, refurbished flower arrangements, cleaning mops and a myriad of other items!

Monument Health and Black Hills Reads partnered with the author to provide books to more than 4,000 families in the Black Hills. From Belle Fourche to Edgemont, Lead-Deadwood to Oglala Lakota County and elementary schools in between, these books found their way into hundreds of classrooms across the Black Hills region for the first time.

Health Care to the Classroom

Throughout Porter the Hoarder week, Monument Health volunteers stepped into 2nd grade classrooms to share in the thrilling escapades of Porter during her hospital visit. Following the reading session, each student received a special package containing their very own copy of the book, along with a surgical cap for added fun and homework — but here’s the twist: the homework wasn’t for the students — it was for their parents. The task, read the book together, at home.