MLK, The Obamas & First Book

Jan17
2012 Leave a Comment Rochee Jeffrey Written by Rochee Jeffrey

“Everybody can be great, because anybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.” – Martin Luther King Jr.

Every year, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day presents us with an opportunity to renew our commitment to serving our communities.

Yesterday, President Obama, Michelle Obama and First Book helped to refurbish a local elementary school library in Washington DC.  Together with a large group of volunteers, they cleaned, painted and organized 600 books donated to the school by First Book.

Credit: MSNBC

First Book was pleased to be a part of the First Family’s Day of Service.

Visit http://www.firstbook.org/get-involved to learn more about how you can serve your community with First Book.

 

 

Posted in Books & Reading - Tagged , , , , ,

“It was too noisy at my house and I knew if I came to school I could find a quiet place to finish it.”

Jan09
2012 Leave a Comment Brian Minter Written by Brian Minter

"It was too noisy at my house and I knew if I came to school I could find a quiet place to finish it."

Posted in Book Recipients - Tagged , , ,

We Couldn’t Have Done It Without You

Jan05
2012 Leave a Comment Kyle Zimmer Written by Kyle Zimmer

We had a great year at First Book, thanks to the help of supporters like you. Together, we’re transforming the lives of millions of children in need by ensuring they have new books of their own to read.

I want to take a moment to say thank you, and tell you what’s in store for the year ahead.

First Book in 2011We’ve spent 20 years building First Book, creating a pipeline for getting books and educational resources to programs serving kids from low-income families. That pipeline is uniquely effective, connecting almost 30,000 local schools and programs across the country with new, high-quality books from every major publisher, all supported by committed donors, volunteers and corporate partners.

First Book has created innovative new models and proven that they work, and -– with your help -– we’ll be swinging for the fences in 2012, scaling rapidly upwards to bring desperately-needed supplies to the millions of children who are still waiting for us.

First Book in 2011We accomplished a lot in 2011 — distributing over 9 million new books, adding 7,000 more schools and programs to the First Book network, starting new local volunteer chapters in over a dozen communities, and launching a major upgrade to the First Book Marketplace that will provide local nonprofits and Title I schools with better access to books and other resources.

First Book in 2011But there’s much more in store. I’m excited about what we’ve got planned for the year ahead and the impact it will have, from dramatically expanding the size and scope of the network of schools and programs we reach to bringing the proven First Book model to places around the world. I’ll keep you updated as we announce new programs, partnerships and milestones.

Thank you so much for your continued support of First Book and the children who are counting on us. We couldn’t do it without you.

Kyle Zimmer
President, First Book

Posted in Book Distributions, Book Recipients, Books & Reading, Kyle Zimmer, Marketplace, National Book Bank, Teachers, Volunteers - Tagged , , ,

It’s Almost Friendiversary! Get Your Books Today!

Jan04
2012 Leave a Comment Brian Minter Written by Brian Minter

Happy Friendiversary! From your friends at First Book

We see that you have a sad face, because the holidays are over. Luckily, you are as wrong as you could possibly be, because the biggest, best, most excellent, excitingest, fanciest, greatest holiday of them all is on its way.

Friendiversary!

Yes! It’s true! Friendiversary 2012 will happen on Feb. 7! Or, maybe Feb. 8. Really, any day that week is fine, because Friendiversary is all about doing things in the best way possible.

A Friendiversary, of course, is the anniversary of a friendship. Think of one of your oldest and dearest friends. When did you first meet? How did you meet? That story is the story of your Friendiversary.

It’s almost Friendiversary! Get your books from First Book today!We celebrated the first annual Friendiversary last year with our friend Mo Willems, author and illustrator of the Elephant & Piggie books. Mo wanted to do something special for some of the kids in New Orleans (where he grew up) and Springfield, Mass. (near where he lives now), so he helped us give brand-new Elephant & Piggie books to every second-grader in those cities. Thanks, Mo!

It went so well that we’re doing it again this year, and we’ve opened the celebration up to EVERYONE in the First Book network. So any teacher or program leader from any of the 27,000 local schools and programs we work with can get their very own Friendiversary Kit – a big box filled with Elephant & Piggie books (40 copies of four different Elephant & Piggie titles), plus all kinds of cool Friendiversary stuff.

Check out the awesome Friendiversary Kit here.

It’s almost Friendiversary! Get your books from First Book today!(Be sure to place your order right away, because it will take a few weeks to get them to you, and we want everything to get there in time.)

If you work with kids from low-income families, but you’re not part of the First Book network (or if you know someone who fits that description), it is definitely not to late to get in on this. Just sign up with First Book (it’s free, and takes about five minutes) and you’re eligible to join the party.

And if you want to help bring a Friendiversary Kit to a school or program in your community that works with kids from low-income families, we can make it happen. Just give us a call at 800-READ-NOW or email help@firstbook.org.

Happy Friendiversary!

Posted in Authors & Illustrators, Book Recipients, Books & Reading, First Book Events, Marketplace, Teachers - Tagged , , ,

It’s Not Too Late to Give New Books to Kids in Need

Dec30
2011 Leave a Comment Brian Minter Written by Brian Minter

Provide new books to kids in need by donating to First Book

Sunday is New Year’s Day, which means a lot of taking stock, figuring out what you want to do and how to finish all the things you meant to do last year.

We hope that one of the things you choose to do before the New Year is provide new books to kids in need by including First Book in your end-of-year giving.

Click here to donate now, and provide new books to kids in need

This year, with your help …

  • First Book distributed 8 million books to kids in need.
  • First Book added 7,000 new schools and programs to our national network.
  • First Book started local volunteer chapters in over a dozen communities.

The new books we distribute to schools and programs around the country do more than put smiles on the faces of children whose families can’t afford books of their own. They provide teachers, librarians and program leaders with the resources they need to transform these children’s lives.

We’re able to do all that we do because of the help and support of our donors and volunteers; we want to say thank you and ask you to continue supporting our mission.

Posted in Books & Reading, Philanthropy, Volunteers - Tagged , , , , , , , , ,

It’s Not Too Late! You Can Provide New Books for Kids in Need This Christmas

Dec19
2011 Leave a Comment Brian Minter Written by Brian Minter

Donate to First Book to provide new books to kids in need

First Book distributed eight million brand-new books to kids in need this year. That’s a LOT of books, and those books have the power to change a lot of lives.

And, with your help, we want to do even more in the year to come!

Donate now to provide new books to kids in need through First Book

Every $2.50 you donate goes to provide a brand-new book to a kid in need, helping them become a reader and changing their life. And your impact will go even further this year – through Dec. 31, our friends at Disney Publishing Worldwide will match every $1 donated with another new book. Pretty great stuff.

Thanks to all of you for your continued support of First Book and the children who are counting on us.

Posted in Book Recipients, Literacy, Philanthropy - Tagged , , , , , , , ,

Reconnecting McDowell: First Book Joins the Effort to Rescue a West Virginia Community

Dec16
2011 Leave a Comment Brian Minter Written by Brian Minter

“Our kids don’t get to have dreams, aspirations, hopes. They can’t even think about college; it’s not in their minds. That’s why these books are so important. Books are the beginning of everything. You learn about other places, you learn about the world.”

– Angela Fedele of the WE CAN Program, a statewide program based in Princeton, W.Va., that provides volunteer mentors for at-risk kids

Chandler Arnold, First Book's executive vice-president, talks with local kids in McDowell County, West Virginia

McDowell County, West Virginia, home to about 22,000 people, is one of the poorest counties in the state, and ranked last in education. Which is why First Book has joined a coalition of businesses, labor unions and nonprofits – more than 40 local, state and national groups altogether – who are working to change that.

For our part, First Book has pledged to provide a brand-new book to every student in McDowell County, books chosen by the local teachers and program leaders who work with the kids. And that’s just the beginning: We distributed 300,000 brand-new books in West Virginia in the last few years, and we’re working with almost 500 local classrooms and programs across the state. Every one of those kids is connected to an ongoing supply of new books through First Book.

“We’re here today because we want to level the educational playing field,” said Chandler Arnold, First Book’s executive vice-president, speaking yesterday at the kickoff ceremony in Charleston. “We want to ensure that the children of McDowell County have access to a steady supply of top-notch books and educational resources.”

AFT President Randi Weingarten shares a new book from First Book with a student in McDowell County , West VirginiaLean more about the project, led by the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), at Reconnecting McDowell.

Help us get the word out, West Virginia! If you work for a school or program that serves children from low-income families, or if you’d like to help your child’s teacher or program leader get new books, sign up with First Book. And if you’d like to join one of our local volunteer groups, we’d love to hear from you.

Posted in Education, First Book Events, First Book Partners, Teachers, Volunteers - Tagged , , , , , , ,

Bears, Beauty, Baked Goods: Shop to Support First Book This Holiday Season

Dec09
2011 Leave a Comment Brian Minter Written by Brian Minter

Happy Holidays from your friends at First Book

We hope you’re enjoying the holiday season! The hard-working elves at First Book are doing everything they can to get new books into the hands of kids in need this winter, and you’ve got the chance to do the same.

Your generous donations to First Book have a significant impact – $2.50 provides a new book for a child from a low-income home, and this holiday season, our friends at Disney are matching every $1 donation with another new book. Click here to donate to First Book.

But there are other ways you can get new books to kids in need! There are all kinds of great companies who support our mission, so you can make a difference while taking care of your holiday shopping:

  • Build-A-Bear Workshop will donate 50 cents to First Book for every Read Teddy they sell this Christmas season. This stuffed bear is fuzzy, cute, and has a jaunty expression we’re quite fond of.
  • philosophy is donating 100% of the net proceeds from all sales of their sweet dreams fresh cream shampoo, shower gel & bubble bath to First Book. Do good and feel good!
  • Altruette makes all sorts of beautiful charms, and donates half the proceeds of every sale to a the cause represented by the charm. Lovely! This Christmas, sales of their ABC Book Charm will benefit First Book.
  • Baking for Good is a great online bakery where every purchase supports your choice of a great big list of charitable causes. When you buy all the cookies you could possibly want and/or afford, enter “First Book” as the cause you want to support, and 15% of your order will go to provide new books for kids in need.
  • I See Me! makes really cool personalized books for kids – stories with a special child’s name in them. And when you check out, if you enter “firstbook” as a coupon code, they’ll will donate 10% of sales to First Book … plus you’ll get 10% off your order.

You can find more about these great partners, and others like them, on our website. Good luck with your holiday shopping!

Posted in First Book Partners - Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Books, Books, Books, Books, Books! First Book is Working Overtime to Distribute One Million Books by Next Weekend

Dec02
2011 Leave a Comment Brian Minter Written by Brian Minter

Yesterday we went to Nashville and picked up 50 cases of books for our organization that serves special needs and will be delivering them tomorrow at our basketball signups.

This is going to be such an amazing thing for these special children and I can’t wait to see the smiles on their faces when they get an early Christmas present of these wonderful books.

Rick Ryan
Challenged Athletes Playing Equally (C.A.P.E.)
Murfreesboro, TN
www.capetn.org

I just can’t believe all the books I got this morning!!!  I do believe I got everything I asked for and more. We know that doesn’t often happen in this game of life.   I’ve gotten books before, but never like  this.  I thank you for offering this opportunity and look forward to some great book clubs and organizing a book give away with our kids at Warner.  We’d love to have you back in Nashville anytime!

On behalf of the students and teachers at Warner….thanks so much!
 
Mona Bruey
Library Media Specialist
Warner Enhanced Option School
Nashville, Tenn.

First Book staff and volunteers distributing one million booksOne of the ways First Book gets new books into the hands of children from low-income families is through the National Book Bank. Publishers donate new books to First Book, and we distribute them to schools and programs around the country.

Our publishing partners have been even more generous than usual lately, so our National Book Bank team is working overtime, traveling to donated warehouse spaces from coast to coast.

Book distributions are one of our favorite things – we get to meet the teachers and program leaders, hear about the kids they work with, and load up their cars (and trucks and school-buses and even horse trailers) with boxes of new books.

First Book loading books into a horse trailer in MissouriBut they are exhausting – a week of 12-hour days spent moving more boxes than you can imagine. Our staff and volunteers give it their all, especially our National Book Bank managers, Katie and Anna, who are in Nashville and St. Joseph, Mo. this week, and traveling (without so much as a day off) to St. Louis and Casa Grande, Ariz.

So thank you to all the amazing local volunteers that show up at warehouses to help get these books to where they need to go, and thank you to all the hard-working educators and community leaders who make sure every book gets into the hands of a child who will take it home and read it again and again.

PS – If you’re on Twitter, drop Anna (@AnnaInTheCity) and Katie (@IAmNotNancy) a note and tell them to keep up the good work!

Posted in Book Distributions, Book Recipients, Books & Reading, National Book Bank, Volunteers - Tagged , , , , , , ,

Giving Where It Works

Nov30
2011 Leave a Comment Brian Minter Written by Brian Minter

At First Book, we work hard to make an impact: we put over 8 million new books into the hands of kids in need across the country this year. And we’re mindful of how many amazing organizations there are out there, both nationally and locally, that could use your support.

So we were pleased to see the New York Times Opinionator blog list First Book today as a nonprofit that is making a major difference while staying on the difficult path towards self-sufficiency, describing our work as a “particularly good use of charitable dollars” (we agree) and “proven to work” (also true).

Commenting on the way First Book’s model marries “altruism and profit”, Tina Rosenberg writes:

If you give books to children who don’t have them, good things happen — they become interested in reading, and they read more. Having lots of books in the home is as good a predictor of children’s future educational achievement as their parents’ educational levels.

But good things also happen to the publishing industry: First Book has harnessed its large network of education programs to create a guaranteed market and persuade publishers to make low-cost versions of some 2,000 titles — allowing publishers to reach the 42 percent of American children who were not in their market before. Fifty dollars buys 20 books for a child who has none.

We hope you’ll support First Book this holiday season. Every $2.50 you give provides one new book for a child in need. It’s a great way for you to make sure your hard-earned and well-considered donation goes to support something that works.

Posted in Kyle Zimmer, Philanthropy, Social Entrepreneurship - Tagged , , , ,
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