Give the Gift of Family Reading

A partnership project of:
Family Reading Partnership
Local Community Members
Bookstores and Banks
Cornell University Hockey
Verizon

Overview

Give the Gift of Family Reading is a holiday new book drive, based on the "toys for tots" concept, but with books. Community members donate new books (or funding for books) at local booksellers, or donate funds at a local bank, the Tompkins Trust Company. New books are also donated through drives hosted by Cornell Football and Hockey, through service organizations, and occasionally at holiday parties. Books are distributed to low-income families primarily through WIC (Women-Infants-Children, a federally funded nutrition assistance program for low-income families with young children) but also through holiday celebrations at public housing sites and through human service organizations.

When families come for their regular December WIC appointments, they find a beautiful array of new books spread on a festive tablecloth, and a friendly volunteer who invites them to choose a book to give as a gift to their child(ren). The volunteer then wraps the book in lovely wrapping and sends the parent home with a ready holiday gift.

The book has increased in value in three ways. First, for the parents, because they are involved in the choosing. Second, for the children, because the books are gifts from their parents. And third, for the family, because it becomes part of a holiday tradition and establishes books as special gifts.

Objectives

--Increase value of books as holiday gifts.
--Support low-income families with books at holidays.
--Increase book ownership.
--Build books into family traditions.

Project Background

Give the Gift of Family Reading began as Give the Gift of Reading in 1995. The idea grew as Brigid Hubberman was bringing books to WIC sites, reading aloud, and encouraging parents to read to their children. She became quite aware that she then was sending many of them home to places where there were no books.

Brigid enlisted the help of local booksellers, who were happy to participate. Each year, they offer a 20% discount on books bought for donation, and The Ithaca Journal newspaper donates a full-page ad to support the project. In 1998 when Cornell Hockey Coach Mike Shafer invited fans to bring books to a game, they brought in 462 new books.