Before she left town to attend the University of Alabama, Julianna Correa created Juli’s Library at Gigi’s Playhouse in Miami Lakes.
The Barbara Goleman Senior High School graduate welcomed volunteers on Aug. 9 to see books they helped create for the center’s members who have Down syndrome.
The books are the result of a literacy program Correa created for her Girl Scout Gold Award. The young readers will be able to hear the voices of community leaders who read the texts.
The project was funded by grants from the Miami Lakes Town Foundation and Fred Senra, partner at Miami Lakes AutoMall who also recorded one of the stories.
In the first photo from left are Clarimar Zeledon, founder of Gigi’s Playhouse in Miami Lakes; volunteers Rory Garcia and Justin Correa (Julianna’s brother); Gigi’s member Carlota McLean; volunteer Rebecca Correa (Julianna’s mother); Julianna Correa; Gigi’s member Marvell Castellanos; Gigi’s parent/volunteer Cary Garcia; Gigi’s member Luis Gonzalez; Virtutem Populo founder Maurits Acosta, a book reader and student member of the Education Advisory Board; Lynn Matos, co-founder of the Miami Lakes Food & Wine Festival which donates proceeds to the Town Foundation; Hector Abad, a book reader, chair of the Education Advisory Board Chair and candidate for town council; volunteer Tatiana Gonzalez and Daylin Garcia, founder of the Giving Gators charity and a book reader who shared the news and photos.
Second photo shows from left Maurits Acosta, Hector Abad and Daylin Garcia looking at the books they narrated.
The third photo is of Julianna Correa at the library corner of Gigi's Playhouse.