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Books Enrich Life at All Levels

August 16, 2021
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by Blake Herzog

“Writing is the painting of the voice.” ~Voltaire

Literature isn’t always considered an “art” in the same sense that painting, sculpture, performing arts and other media are, but storytelling is at the foundation of all of them.

Thoughts and ideas are woven together, building on the ones before them and leading to the next. They create a world with its own logic and reasoning, though it can sometimes be hard to decipher it.

The arts, books in particular, have the power to relax and entertain us while making us stretch our brains to understand new concepts or rethink old ones. They open new worlds and new possibilities to us.

Resurgent Reading

The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ American Time Use Survey revealed that in 2019 the average American spent just 16.8 minutes a day reading books, magazines or newspapers for personal interest (not for work or school). This was the lowest average reported since the study began 15 years before.

But the trend appeared to reverse during 2020, as the pandemic kept people close to home for months on end and searching for productive things to do with all the time freed up by the absence of commutes, nights out to restaurants and entertainment and travel.

Many people found the answer in their hands, as sales of print books rose 8.2% over the course of the year, according to Publishers Weekly. Books gained even more momentum in the first half of 2021, the magazine says, with almost all categories posting double-digit gains over the same period last year.

Some industry leaders are concerned Americans will drift away from their renewed interest in reading books (or at least buying them) as pandemic conditions improve and their competitors open back up.

Why Should We Read Books?

Reading books, especially fiction, fosters your brain’s continued development as you keep track of plots, characters and backstories; think critically about the author’s message even as you are entertained by the plot; and build up your cognitive strengths until the moment you put the book down.

Books build your knowledge, vocabulary and communication skills. They support your development professionally, socially and spiritually, blazing your path to success in getting that promotion you need at work or successfully leading a volunteer project that fills a need in your community.

Books draw you away from everyday stresses and disappointments and help you decompress into another world or time, a world of imagination and possibilities which can unlock the creativity within you.

You get to see the world through the eyes of someone else, often someone completely different from you. But there will always be moments of self-recognition too, which will build your capacity for empathy with others you find it hard to identify with.

In short, book readers draw a lot of benefits from this one simple activity — and a national Health and Retirement Study found in 2017 that seniors who read books had a 20% lower risk of dying over a 12-year period than non-book readers.

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LOCAL NEWS: The Northern Arizona VA in Prescott has provided an update on their Homeless Veteran Program. . . .PRESCOTT, Ariz. – The Northern Arizona VA Health Care System’s Homeless Veteran Program, along with its community partners, housed 445 Veterans in 2022, exceeding their target goal by 157%.Nationally, the 2022 goal was to house 38,000 homeless Veterans— a goal that was exceeded by 6.3%. The Department of Veterans Affairs remains committed to ending Veteran homelessness and increasing housing placements is critical to achieving this goal.“This success is a result of efforts built on the evidence-based ‘Housing First’ approach, which prioritizes getting a Veteran into housing, then provides the Veteran with the support they need to stay housed,” said Steve Sample, Medical Center Director.In Northern Arizona, there are a variety of services designed to house homeless Veterans. The VA’s Health Care for Homeless Veterans (HCHV) Program includes VA Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) vouchers that provide formerly homeless Veterans with subsidized housing and a wraparound, interdisciplinary case management team to address issues that may have contributed to homelessness. The program provides justice outreach services, employment services, health care services through the Homeless Patient Aligned Care Team, outreach, and transitional housing support. The VA also works closely with community partners to house homeless Veterans through a system called Coordinated Entry, where community agencies along with the VA regularly meet to coordinate efforts and ensure homeless Veterans do not fall through the cracks.“We are fortunate that there is so much support for helping homeless Veterans in our area,” said Jessica Taylor, Homeless Program Coordinator for the Northern Arizona VA. “This success could not have been possible without great collaboration between our community partners, Housing Authorities, Tribal partnerships, and support from our local communities.”Looking ahead, the VA will continue to explore new avenues to house homeless Veterans and overcome housing barriers. In collaboration with U.S VETS, Gorman & Company, and the Arizona Department of Housing, a supportive housing project on the grounds of the VA’s Fort Whipple campus is in the initial planning stages. The VA is also expanding outreach to ensure that homeless Veterans are aware of services available to them. For Veterans who are homeless or at imminent risk of homelessness— or if you know of homeless Veterans in need of assistance, call 877-424-3838.For more information on renting to or hiring homeless Veterans, visit: www.va.gov/homelessAbout the Northern Arizona VA: Through its main campus in Prescott, along with Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs) in Cottonwood, Flagstaff, Kingman, Lake Havasu City, and Anthem— with additional clinics in Tuba City, Page, Kayenta, Chinle, Holbrook, and Polacca, the Northern Arizona VA provides services to approximately 33,000 Veterans over a catchment area of more than 65,000 square miles.. . .www.facebook.com/VAPrescott ... See MoreSee Less

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Empty Bowls of Prescott Arizona has announced that it will distribute $24,000 to local foodbanks! Their 2022 Empty Bowls fundraising event took place in September, and donations can be made year round on their website.prescott-empty-bowls.square.site ... See MoreSee Less

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