Nonprofit lets military members read to their kids, no matter the distance
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The holidays can be especially hard for families with someone away from home serving our country.
The nonprofit organization United Through Reading connects military members with their loved ones, no matter the distance. United Through Reading helps servicemembers record and send their families and children videos of them reading stories.
It began in San Diego, California with servicemembers and supporters recording on VHS tapes. Over 33 years, United Through Reading has grown and now has recording stations all over the world with all military services represented, CEO Tim Farrell said.
Farrell, a 23-year veteran of the Air Force, used the service to send recorded stories to his sons while he was deployed at Joint Base Balad in Iraq.
New Jersey parent Alicia Norton's husband had an extended deployment with the National Guard.
"My husband recorded on the app, and my kids used it the whole time he was gone," Norton said. "I'd be putting my daughter to bed, and my son would be listening to daddy read to him."
The organization says reading aloud to kids is important to their wellbeing.
"It really was critical for our then-4-year-old, because [his father] really was the primary reader. It really helped fill the gap of what we were missing at that time," Norton said.
You can hear more from Norton and Farrell in the video above. To find out more about how to get involved, check out United Through Reading's website.