Give the gift of reading to a child in need

It’s that time of year again.

The Books for Keeps elves have been busy in the workshop (i.e.: the warehouse) getting ready for our version of Christmas: those May distributions are what we spend all year working toward.

Serving 3,700 children in grades K-5 means we will give out 45,000 books through our main program in 2014.

But this is also the time of year where we have to look at our inventory, our available funds, and see where we fall short.

We still need sponsors for 1,195 children. It takes just $25 to provide books and a tote bag to a child, keeping them stocked with books all summer.

Will you step up and help?

There are many ways to give. Via our donate page, you can:

• Give in a loved one’s name. Tell us in the memo who you’re honoring, and we’ll email you a certificate to print and stuff in their stocking!
• Adopt a classroom with friends, family, coworkers, a church group, or on behalf of a business.
• Make a recurring pledge that renews every month for a whole year.

Sponsoring an entire classroom takes just $500. It’s a great opportunity for a business to make an impact in the community, for a church group to band together, for old friends to give back, or for an extended family to engage together in charitable giving.

What we need is pretty straightforward – it’s the funds to be able to reach the children in our program who don’t yet have sponsors. At just $25 a child, it’s manageable. It’s a trip for two people to the movies. It’s a dinner out. It’s a brand new hardback book we might buy for ourselves.

What these children get out of their 12 books is rich and complex. Students who have never found joy in reading learn to love it in a book about WWE wrestlers or their favorite NBA stars. Children who have never owned a single book experience the pride of ownership. Older siblings take their books home and read to little brothers and sisters.

Inspiring this joy, pride, and togetherness is magical. And, research shows that it can have a similar impact to attending summer school – at a fraction of the cost.

No matter how you choose to give, we thank you, and the children we serve thank you.