A new children's library has opened at the China Rehabilitation Research Center for Hearing and Speech Impairment on June 1. The library, called "Angels Hear Love," is the fifth to be funded by the Herbalife "Angels Hear Love" Special Fund of the China Soong Ching Ling Foundation (CSCLF).
Open to children from the research center as well as the surrounding neighborhoods, the library provides a space for recovering children to interact with their peers, helping them to make a smoother transition into their new lives.
The library features a warm and vibrant interior, along with diverse activity zones carefully tailored to meet the aesthetic preferences and physical requirements of children. Its extensive collection of over 4,000 picture books and professional literature on early reading guidance and rehabilitation serves to stimulate children's interest in reading and cultivate a lifelong reading habit. It also provides opportunities for therapists to organize engaging events such as Picture Book Storytime and Parent-Child Shared Reading, specifically designed for children aged 0-6.
"Angels Hear Love" Children's Library
At the inauguration ceremony, Liu Ying, deputy director of the Fund Department of the CSCLF, said the library is a special gift in celebration of International Children's Day. She also emphasized the foundation's commitment to increasing efforts on the mental health and injury prevention for hearing-impaired children and minors.
Na Xin, secretary of the Party Committee, and director of the China Rehabilitation Research Center for Hearing and Speech Impairment, expressed sincere gratitude to the CSCLF and Herbalife for their invaluable support. She underscored the center's unwavering dedication to allocating more resources to benefit hearing-impaired children and ensuring the high-quality development of hearing and speech rehabilitation services.
Zhan Xuan, vice president of Herbalife Asia Pacific/China, highlighted the significant impact of the "Angel Hear Love" initiative, for it has successfully funded cochlear implant surgeries for nearly 200 children in China over the past 13 years. She said the upgraded "Angel Hear Love" will devote more efforts to facilitating the smooth transition of recovering children into broader society, providing a supportive environment for their journey.
During the ceremony, children at the China Rehabilitation Research Center for Hearing and Speech Impairment performed captivating plays. They were also invited to a storytelling session with teachers and volunteers. Parents who had received assistance shared their heartwarming experiences.
Background information:
The "Angel Hears Love" initiative was established in 2011 to help hearing-impaired children in China. The initiative has funded cochlear implant surgeries and provided hearing and speech rehabilitation training for over 180 children.
In 2020, the initiative optimized its programs to focus more on early intervention, linguistic development, and social integration. The initiative now provides specialized case aids, children's libraries, and special classrooms to help hearing-impaired children recover and grow.
(Source: CSCLF Fund Department)
