Reach Out and Reach, a grant-funded program of The University of Toledo Department of Pediatrics, is working with Barnes & Noble at the Shops at Fallen Timbers to help children in the classroom.
The community can help promote school readiness and family reading time by donating a book at the Barnes & Noble Fallen Timbers Holiday Book Drive at the store in Maumee Sunday, Dec. 11, with the voucher at right, or by shopping online at barnesnandnoble.com Dec. 11-16 with the book fair ID 11985702 at checkout.
All book drive and book fair proceeds will benefit children and families in northwest Ohio.
“Our goal is to secure 10 percent of our books needed for the year; that is a total of 2,600 books,” Lori LeGendre, program director for Reach Out and Reach, said.
Reach Out and Read prepares America’s youngest children to succeed in school by partnering with doctors to prescribe books and encourage families to read together.
Doctors, nurse practitioners and other medical professionals incorporate Reach Out and Read’s evidence-based model into regular pediatric checkups by advising parents about the importance of reading aloud and giving developmentally appropriate books to children.
Locally, the program will reach 13,000 families with young children at 25 pediatric and family practice offices in northwest Ohio. The program distributes 26,000 new books yearly.
Nationally, Reach Out and Read programs are located in 5,800 hospitals, health centers and pediatric clinics in all 50 states. The program also serves 4.5 million children and families each year. More than 6.5 million new, developmentally appropriate books are given to children annually, and more than 12,000 doctors and nurses participate in Reach Out and Read.
Donations may be made to Reach Out and Read of Northwest Ohio at https://www.utfoundation.org/foundation/home/Give_Online.aspx.
For more information about the local initiative, visit facebook.com/RORNWO or reachoutandread.org, or contact LeGendre at lori.legendre@utoledo.edu or 419.383.4007.
