Peyton Savarese, right. and Lauren Cullinan, left with their books and bears
By Dan Murphy
We are always looking for positive stories about people in Yonkers giving back and serving others. Two Yonkers high school students, Peyton Savarese and Lauren Cullinan, epitomize the ethic of paying it forward with their Bear and A Book Project.
We found out about Peyton and Lauren from City Council President Lakisha Collins-Bellamy, who welcomed them to a recent council meeting. “We had the pleasure of being joined by high school sophomores Lauren Cullinan and Peyton Savarese, who graced us by saying the Pledge of Allegiance. These remarkable young women are the founders of A Bear and A Book Project, initiated in fall 2023, aimed at nurturing a love and confidence for reading among young children. Their approach involves visiting Pre-K to 2nd grade classrooms, sharing stories, and encouraging kids to read aloud to their peers, adults, and even their teddy bears. To make this experience lasting, they conclude their visits by gifting each child a new book and a teddy bear. The cost of each gift bag is $6, typically for classes of around 28 students. This wonderful initiative is supported by local businesses sponsoring classrooms and generous donations from individuals. Those interested in sponsoring a classroom or donating to the project can do so by sending an Amazon gift card to bearandbookproject@gmail.com,” writes Collins-Bellamy.
We wanted to learn more and share their story with our readers. Peyton and Lauren have been friends since the 4th grade. Both attended Paideia School 15, and now attend Ursuline High School.
The idea behind A Bear and a Book Project is that for those students who don’t have someone to read to at home, can read to the Bear that they are given along with a book.
“This idea started when we were studying. We were taking a break and were just talking. Since we’ve met, in fourth grade, we have always wanted to make a difference together. We have always shared a common interest in reading and writing, therefore, we wanted to incorporate those passions into our project. So, we began brainstorming and came up with the idea of reading to children, then giving them a bear and a book so that they can practice reading if they do not have anyone else to read to. And then a Bear and a Book was born,” said Peyton
“So far, we have visited 28 classrooms and 15 different schools, reaching over 600 children. We have read to schools in Yonkers, the Bronx, Queens, Mahopac, Mamaroneck, and Cheshire, Connecticut.
“For school visits, we begin by introducing ourselves, explaining a little bit about our project, and asking if anyone already likes to read. Then, we read them a story that is age appropriate, while we hold our own teddy bears, named Candy Bear and Sprinkles named by two previous pre-k classes. We ask them questions regarding the book to keep them engaged throughout the activity. At the end of the book, we reflect on the lessons and the main idea throughout the story. We finish off by distributing the goody bags that include a bear, a book, and a flier, containing information regarding the project. We walk around, talking to the students, and reinforce the importance behind reading their book to the bear,” said Lauren
The cost of the Bears, Books and Bags have been paid for through generous donations from local businesses in Yonkers. “We have been very fortunate with donations from small, local businesses. If they want to donate, we give them a specific amount that will cover the fees of one class; therefore, each company sponsors one or more classes. Also, we have been fortunate to receive donations from generous individuals, such as teachers from prior classes, friends, and our school.”
While the Bear and the Book Project is only 5 months old, the response has been positive. “Most importantly, the children have been engaged and appear to have been very receptive and excited about the project so far,” said Peyton
Both Peyton and Lauren are proud Yonkers residents and “feel very lucky to have received a Yonkers Public School education. Not only did it help us become friends, but it helped to inspire our project as well.
“We both attended Paideia School 15, Peyton from Pre-k through 7th grade and Lauren from 4th grade to 6th. We always had very encouraging teachers that helped set us up for future success, and always cheered us on.
“We would both say that our 5th grade teacher, Mrs. Tiffany Soares, is 15’s best example of this. She always cared about helping us grow, and she very much stressed the importance of reading and being well educated. She always told us, ‘use it or lose it’ to encourage us to keep up our skills, and her focus on Shakespeare through putting on a play really helped make the stories come to life.
“Another very important inspiration to us is another Yonkers native, our freshman English teacher at Ursuline, Ms. Tonianne Bellomo. She was always helping us to improve our writing, which we both love, and helping us to get a very deep and profound understanding of the texts we were reading in class. Most importantly, she really cared for us and helped fuel our drive and ambition to improve our literacy skills.
“Something that has been important to us from the start is getting to read in School 15, and on April 2 we were able to make this come true. It was really important to us to give back to such an amazing school that was very good to us. We also have been fortunate enough to have been welcomed into two more Yonkers Schools, and we hope to get into many more in the future. We will be in the Yonkers Public Library in the 2nd week of April,” said both Lauren and Peyton.
What is their ultimate goal? “Something very important to both of us, is dreaming big and making those dreams come true. With our hard work and dedication towards this project, comes aspirations. We hope to reach 2500 bears and books distributed by June of our Senior Year in high school. However, high school is not where this project ends; we plan on continuing Bear and a Book all throughout college, and even bring it to our college towns. We hope to bring this project to the national and international level, specifically Ireland, where both of Lauren’s parents and her relatives are from. One day, we wish to fulfill our dream of writing a children’s book of our own, revolving around how we met at school 15, and tying in key ideas from a Bear and a Book Project. Lastly, we hope that one day we will be invited to share our project and read at the New York Public Library. Our dreams and aspirations are fueled by the support of our community and continue to grow alongside our service project. “
Who taught you to give back to others in this way?
“Giving back to our community is something that has been instilled in both of us since a very young age. The importance of looking out for one another has always been emphasized by our parents throughout our lives. Both of our families have always fostered this.
Peyton’s mom helped her to organize a laptop drive during the coronavirus outbreak so that children in her school community whose families could not afford laptops could still attend online lessons and get their assignments.
Lauren fostered these ideas of generosity for the community by running a toy drive for the Primera Hispana Church in downtown Yonkers to show support for struggling families during the holiday season. She has been operating this toy drive since the 7th grade.
Some of the schools that the girls have visited have young students who are living in shelters, or do not have a parent in their lives. And those are exactly the kids that both Lauren and Peyton want to impact with A Bear and a Book Project.
“I remembered hearing about how using toys and reading to toys can help young students read, so why not give them a teddy bear and a book. If they don’t have a family member, they can read to the bear.
“That was the idea, they can always count on their bear to be there and listen to them read. That way they always have someone to read to.
Donations can be made by going to the Bear and a Book Project Wish List, which can be accessed on Amazon’s ‘List or Registry’, and finding Gift List-Peyton Lauren or by sending an Amazon Gift Card to bearandbookproject@gmail.com
The girls give out age-appropriate books to all students, in consultation with the teachers. The hope is to give out several different books to each class and maybe the students can trade with each other after reading.
“It feels really good to see their reactions. In some classes, they begin reading right away,” said Peyton
“It makes us feel grateful. Even though it’s a small bag and a book, it means a lot to them. The bear isn’t just some toy, they can go home and read to the bear for support,” said Lauren
Peyton attends St. Eugene’s Church and Lauren attends St. Barnabas. Peyton hopes to be an entertainment lawyer in the future, and Lauren is interested in a career in finance or law.
