Power of Reading: Diversion program aids children and teens in rebuilding their lives

The Kalamazoo Juvenile Home is a place for children and teens to get their life back on the right track. One way they’re doing it is through the power of reading.

Volunteer Marge Kars has made it her mission to teach struggling children and teens the joy of reading and how it can change their lives. The program is called Diversions, and it has made a huge impact in the past decade.

If you’re looking for Kalamazoo resident Marge Kars, you’ll likely find her with her nose stuck in book.

“If you call my home, my voicemail says I’m right in the middle of a good book. Call me back,” Kars said.

The former Bronson Methodist Hospital Librarian has shelves overflowing with books. Her love of reading beginning in childhood and it never faded, but for the last decade Kars has found even more joy in passing that passion for reading on, in the most unlikely place.

Kars helped launch the Diversions Reading Program behind locked doors at the Kalamazoo Juvenile Home.

Each child involved in the program is given a book. Every Thursday, they read and discuss the latest chapters with Kars, and the books tackle some very tough topics.

Kars said, “Drugs are a topic. Gangs are a topic. Those are big issues in their lives. For some young women that’s a revelation and things start to turn around.”

Kalamazoo Juvenile Home Director Peter Holt says there’s a huge correlation between juvenile reading levels and adult criminal behavior. Kars is helping them decrease that likelihood one page at a time.

“With all of our different literacy programming we’ll see kids move up three grade levels, especially our long-term kids,” Holt said. “We can really make a huge impact with that.”

The Diversions program has expanded over the years from one group of girls to the entire facility.

“For some of these young people it’s the only book they’ve ever owned in their life,” Kars said. “For some of them it’s the only book in their house.”

Kars never knows week-to-week who will show up for the book club or how many girls. Their lives are filled with stressors and challenges most of us will never understand.

Kars is determined to be their one constant, and even more determined to give them the confidence and skills they need to make reading an important part of their lives too.

“If I can walk out of here knowing that at least one young woman found value in reading, then I’m okay,” she said.