Give Back, Give Books

Rochester Education Foundation encourages the community to give books to city school students through our ongoing "Give Back, Give Books" program.

Since the launch of the program in Fall 2006 we have collected and distributed more than 15,000 new books to city students and to city school libraries.

Donations have also created a lending library of Books on Tape and CDs for use in English classes, and the distribution of 5,000 literacy calendars donated by Wegmans. Thank you to all our generous donors.

We continue to accept new books and the funds to buy more books and help support the distribution of them. Many books have been given directly to students through our book fairs. We also like to give books to support events that promote family literacy and other activities that encourage reading among

city students, including book clubs. We also support summer reading programs. Having new books to give provides REF with a valuable tool to help teachers and families motivate young people and encourage reading.

REF encourages companies and organizations to conduct drives for new books. In December 2007, more than 700 books were donated to Give Back, Give Books by M and T Bank, Klein Steel, Kodak's Corporate Business Research Division, the University Health Service of the University of Rochester and Empire Justice Center.

In February 2008 REF will partner a second time with Have a heart. Give a book, a dynamic program of SUNY College at Brockport. This college-wide campaign generated 794 books for city students in 2007! By engaging the entire college community, organizers obtain books for Rochester city students and for additional needy students in the Brockport area.

Sound interesting? We'll be happy to work with you on a book or fundraising campaign of your own to encourage this positive support of student reading.

We'll give the books away or we will work with your group, class or business if you would like to give the books personally to students at a city school.

Thanks to our Give Back, Give Books supporters. Give Back, Give Books is supported in 2007-2008 by generous grants from the John F. Wegman Fund, the M and T Charitable Foundation, and the Marie C. and Joseph C. Wilson Foundation.

Did you know that...

• Many city school students do not have books at home.
• The average fiction book in city school libraries is about 20 years old.
• Providing books to children and school libraries is a proven way to help students become more successful academically and in the future.

Help us make a difference.

Would you like to launch a drive in your school, business or organization?
...learn where to buy or drop off books locally?
...support the campaign with a donation?
...buy books online?

You'll find all that and more on the Give Back, Give Books website:
     http://www.givebackgivebooks.org