Join Our 4th Annual Read Aloud Book Drive
It’s our 4th annual Read Aloud Book Drive – and we need your help!
There’s no denying that learning to read and write is important for children. It helps with cognitive and communication skills, as well as ensuring access to information and opportunities well into their adult years. Yet 45% of Orange County 3rd grade students still do not meet the statewide grade level standard for English language arts and literacy (ELA).
So how can you help?
One of the biggest barriers to early childhood literacy is access to books.
Our annual book drive is part of the Orange County United Way Read Aloud 15 Minutes initiative, which encourages parents to read aloud to their kids for 15 minutes every day from birth to age five.
Books collected and bought during the Read Aloud Book Drive go to local Little Free Libraries, schools, and over 400 community resource partners, ensuring they are available where books are scarce. Over the past three years, we’ve collected over 18,000 books, but it’s time to aim higher!
Our goal this year is to collect 11,000 new and gently used books and fundraise $5,000 by January 31, 2020.
Here are a few ways you can get involved:
- Donate new or gently used books
- Make a financial contribution (used to buy books on your behalf)
- Host a book drive/fundraiser at your work, school, or home! If you’re interested, contact Daisy Benitez via [email protected] to get started.
All children’s books and books suitable for teens in grades Pre-K through 12 are welcome with the following exceptions:
- Textbooks
- Religious books
- Encyclopedias and dictionaries
- Magazines
- CDs or videos
- Books with loose bindings, stains, coloring or torn pages
If you’d like to host a book drive/fundraiser or would like to find out more about any of the above, please reach out to Daisy Benitez via [email protected] or 949.263.6124.
Conclusion
Orange County United Way is helping prepare our next generation to live happy, healthy, productive lives through early grade reading and literacy programs. The importance of reading for elementary school students is a critical bridge to success in school, work and life. When children read better, they imagine more richly, develop more vocabulary and engage in critical thinking—skills that lead to college and career, and the building blocks for a good quality of life.
