Book and a Blanket Program
Warms The Winter for City Students

As Winter roars into Rochester, so too does the far gentler Book and a Blanket program. This year, for winter 2008-2009, the goal is 4,000 book and blanket sets to be donated to the youngest city school students.

On delivery days, you can see the results of the campaign. Volunteers from city and suburbs -- some adults, some high school students -- reading a new book to a small child, many wrapped in a soft fleece blanket. Some children will fit the blanket over their shoulders, and others will put their heads down on the fleece while they listen to their very own book being read aloud.

Most of the Book and a Blanket packages were scheduled to be distributed to city students the week before the holiday break at Schools 2, 6, 8, 9, 22, 25, 33, 45 and Eugenio de Hostos -- then school was cancelled due to a blizzard on the last Friday of the school year. Now they will be distributed in January and February.

Rochester Education Foundation is a co-sponsor of the program. The Book and a Blanket program was created four years ago by Buddies, Bridges and Brains, a terrific organization that supports a partnership between the town of Victor and School 22 in Rochester. Last year, the group donated 3000 Book and a Blanket bundles.

This effort is supported by M & T Bank Foundation, Rep. Joe Robach, Citizen's Bank, Target, First Book, Joann Fabrics, The Scott Spino Foundation, and a Civic Engagement grant from the Rochester Area Community Foundation.

Get Involved

If you are interested in getting involved for the 2009 drive, please contact Karen Guidarelli at karen@rochestereducation.org. Volunteers to distribute books are needed. We will also happily accept contributions of new books, books purchased on our website, and funds to buy books for the project. Please specify "Book and a Blanket" when you donate. We also welcome donations of fleece.

To donate in support of Book and a Blanket:

• Donate a book of your choice on the Give Back, Give Books website
• Donate fleece material (contact us via e-mail, at bookandblanket@buddiesbridgesbrains.org)
• Donate ribbon (contact us via e-mail, at bookandblanket@buddiesbridgesbrains.org)

Learn More

For more information about the Book and Blankets program, please call us at 271‑5790 or contact us via e-mail at info@rochestereducation.org.

REF and Buddies, Bridges and Brains are also working together to support the KidBridge partnership. Click here to learn more.