WEEK 19 OF ACTION: DONATE BOOKS

Yesterday, I had the chance to go into my son’s room to declutter, since he was visiting his grandparents. He is starting school soon, and there are probably clothes that are too small and games that we can donate, just to make a little room for some new stuff.

Then it came to my attention the amount of books he has had on his bookshelf since he was a baby, 2-years old, even 4-years old. So that is exactly where I started. I began looking through each of them, and then remembered how much joy he had as we read these books together, the joy he got from picking it off the shelf and looking through it on his own, his own imagination and telling his own story, and what a BIG PART reading plays into his development.

These are still GREAT BOOKS, someone would love to read them. Knowing that teachers are always trying to add new books to their classroom libraries, because they give many books away each year to children who “loved that book” I decided that is what I will do; donate them to a school where many children could enjoy those books, and even take them home.

The importance of donating the books is so vital for today’s youth and their success in school. Did you know that 55% of children have an increased interest in reading when a book is given to them at an early age? Children with a variety of reading materials in the home are more creative, imaginitive and become more proficient at reading?

By donating books you can impact some of the 12 million children that do not have books to read in their home. You can give children the key to literacy, you can change someone’s entire world by opening up their minds to reading, and you can help make a stronger community.

• 61% of low-income families have no books in their homes
• 1 age-appropriate book for every 300 children in low-income neighborhoods versus 13 books per child in middle-income neighborhoods
• 43% of adults with the lowest level of literacy proficiency live in poverty

Need a place to donate? Here are some of our partner agencies:

Child and Adult literacy: Literacy Coalition, El Sol

Education Centers: Opportunity Inc., YWCA, Milagro Center

After School Programs: Adopt-a-Family, Achievement Centers, Boys and Girls Club, Urban Youth Impact

Let’s Do This

Please share with us how you made your week count. No, it doesn’t need to take place on Monday – Monday just gets us excited about what the week has to offer, what we (ourselves) have to offer.

1. Follow us on:
2. Look for the weekly theme on all of our social media throughout the day on Mondays
3. Photograph, video, post, tweet about your experience
4. Remember to tag @PBUnitedWay and use the weekly hashtags

We have an AWESOME community, let’s embrace it, make an impact — IT’S MONDAY, LET’S DO THIS!