First Book Drive! Help the kiddies out

I've been itching to do something meaningful for a worthy cause revolving around books/reading and have decided to hold my blog's first book drive! After some research into local organizations I'm excited to announce that I've decided to focus this book drive's efforts towards aiding Reading to Kids.

Reading to Kids is a grassroots organization dedicated to inspiring low-income children with a love of reading. On the second Saturday of each month, Reading to Kids gathers over 1,000 children and hundreds of volunteers for reading clubs at Los Angeles area elementary schools from 9am to noon. At the reading clubs, pairs of volunteers read aloud to small groups of children, while their parents receive training on how to encourage their children to read at home. Kids, parents, teachers, and school libraries receive book donations at the end of the reading clubs. These are important donations, as 60% of low-income homes do not have age appropriate reading materials for children.


I am calling on my friends and blog readers to help out during this book drive by donating new and/or gently used books to these kids in the program as well as books for the parents to take home to encourage reading in their households. The organization is looking for books for kids in kindergarten to 5th grade. Our donated books will be given to the children after their reading clubs to take home and build their own home libraries. Parents receive donated books as well so that they can help nurture their child's newfound love for reading. So dig up some of your childhood books, ask your friends to donate some of theirs or roam the shelves at your local bookstore for the latest releases.

Ways to donate to this book drive:

• Bring your new or gently used children's book(s) to our next book club meeting in July
• Contact yours truly so that we can organize a meet-up where I can pick up your book donations
• I am currently working to get donation boxes placed in some local independent book stores in the city. If all goes well I will announce these bookstore locations where you can drop off your donations
• Not in Los Angeles but still want to help? Let me know and we can make arrangements to work something out
  
• Above all please contact me if you're interested in helping out. Every book counts and hopefully we can a good amount collected for a month-long drive

Reading to Kids is super excited about the Noses in Books book drive so let's kick this book drive off to a good start! Visit http://www.readingtokids.org/ for more information about the organization and on ways you can volunteer to be a reader in their monthly reading groups.