“What I hope people can garner from the poem is that while issues of hunger and poverty and illiteracy can feel Goliath and are so huge, it’s not necessarily that these issues are too large to be conquered.”

While reading plays an important role in academic performance, it is also an essential life skill. Literacy and effective communication go hand-in-hand, and inspiring a child to embrace reading and writing can help open a world of opportunity.

Dianna Hobbs, Founder of Empowering Everyday Women Ministries and first lady of City Church Buffalo, recently launched her Literacy Links Program. It is a community initiative to fight illiteracy.