|
Dear Friend of Reader To Reader, I hope you enjoy this newsletter about the Reader To Reader Book Project. Our success is very much due to your donations of books, postage money, and most of all your generous spirit. Please forward this newsletter and help us spread the word. The crisis that so many schools face due to a lack of books sometimes seems insurmountable, but it's not. It just takes committed, consistent effort. The other day I received a letter from the Homer Street School in Springfield, Mass. that highlights the progress that can be made in a relatively short time. Almost every week our volunteer, Eric Getty, has delivered a box or two to their school and now I am pleased to report that the school's library is no longer in crisis. Read on:
I am so pleased that we have reached a point where we can now just help the Homer Street School upgrade and maintain their collection. Meanwhile, the letters keep coming:
The boxes are in the mail! It's very important at Reader To Reader that no school should fall through the cracks. Recently we have been adding lots of elementary schools to the more than 77 schools we now serve across the country. In addition to Hagerman, Idaho, just this last week we also added the James Otis Elementary in East Boston, MA. The elementary grades are so critical for turning children into lifelong readers and these school libraries are the key to reaching them. A recent Parade Magazine article noted that "60% of underprivileged kids in the U.S. don't own a single book." With our ever-increasing need for children's books, I'm pleased to announce that we are partnering with the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, MA for a two-week children’s book drive between March 12-27. Both the Hall of Fame and the NBA are outstanding supporters of literacy programs, and the Hall of Fame has enthusiastically embraced the idea of helping the Reader To Reader program.
People wishing to drop off books can bring them to the Hall of Fame between
10am to 6pm at the admissions booth. There is also a second Springfield
drop off location at Edwards Books at Tower Square. People in the Amherst
and Northampton area can drop them off at Cadigan Center As a "Thank You" for dropping off a bag of books, donors will receive coupons that include discounts at:
Edwards is also donating several copies of the book Game Face, written by Jane Gottesman for raffle prizes as an incentive for book donations. We look forward to the Reader To Reader Book drive becoming an annual Hall of Fame event! Before I end this month's newsletter, I would just like to thank talented photographer Michael Jacobson-Hardy for the use of the wonderful, and very stirring photograph that is now posted on our website. Please visit http://www.readertoreader.org to see it and you will also see a link to his website to see more of his excellent work. Thank you for reading this newsletter and we thank you for your support. Until next month,
David Mazor Please help us with a tax-deductible donation. Here are just a few of our recent book shipments: Southern University of New Orleans
James Otis Elementary, East Boston, MA
Navajo Pine High School, Navajo, NM
William Deberry Elementary, Springfield, MA
West Tellahatchie High School, Webb, MS
Lubec Consolidated School, Lubec, ME
Kimball Elementary, Kimball, WV
Drew High School, Drew, MS
North Panola High School, Sardis, MS
And that's just the tip of the iceberg! To be added to this newsletter please email dmazor@readertoreader.org |