A Book Shelf in Every Food Shelf


 Low-literacy is an obstacle to future success, health & independence. Increasing the number of books in children's homes is an important part of the solution to improving literacy.

So...

We give books away. 

In fact, we give lots of books away to children who live in poverty.


Join our effort and help us do something incredibly positive that is making a difference in children's lives.



Set up a Chapter in your community.

Contact us to be added to our email list for updates.  

Like us on Facebook.

Help us SERVE LITERACY

 

Links to Literacy

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Literacy & Read to Feed the Mind News

  • Passing the Power This last week I started my program at Adler Graduate School for my MA in psychotherapy. As I sat with the other students, we spoke to one another about professionalism and vocation. Professionalism broken down in Latin means "pro" or for and "fess" to speak. Thus professionalism is about speaking for someone or some group. Likewise, vocation comes from the Latin word "vocatio", a call or a summon. Asking someone what their profession is and what their vocation is, is really asking who that individual is called to speak on behalf of. My first response to this question was that I am called to speak on behalf of those who do not have voices, or to listen to those who ...
    Posted Sep 26, 2012, 7:18 AM by Linnea Logas
  • The Pictures of Possibility This summer has been a busy one for Read to Feed the Mind. Remember all those thousands of books we handed out a few weeks ago? Well we have pictures to share from the North Minneapolis Block party and from the Minnesoat Reading CorpsAugust training at River Centre in St Paul. The children and volunteers were so excited to be receiving books!  Many of the Minnesota Reading Corps tutors are also very excited about the books they received, and are looking forward to setting up chapters in their own local food shelves. Over facebook we received a message from a tutor that encompasses the excitement and possibility these tutors see: "Hi! I received a the bag of books via Minnesota ...
    Posted Sep 5, 2012, 10:01 PM by Beverly Koopman
Showing posts 1 - 2 of 70. View more »





Be a part of the solution


Children from the poorest families are exposed to more than 30 million fewer words than children from more educated, more affluent homes by the age of 3 years!    From third grade forward, the more successful students are also the more proficient readers.  These students read between 4-5 million words a year*, which is approximately an average-sized novel every week or so, or a little over an hour of reading every day.  The least proficient students read as few as 100,000 words per year.  By 12th grade, the least proficient students' reading will not equal a single year of the more proficient students' reading. 

That gap must be closed!  

The solution lies in creating cultures of literacy in the homes of children, making reading a part of their daily routines both in and out of school.   Getting quality books into their hands is one important step in the right direction.

This website will help show you how to support what is happening in our community, or how to set up your own " Read to Feed the Mind" program.  The model is easy to replicate and is certain to make a difference in your community's children and their future opportunities.

*Some students routinely read upwards of 12 million words each year!
Pass it on...
Poverty, and in its most extreme form, homelessness, includes a lot of idle time, much of for children is spent by entertaining themselves.  Books help to occupy that time, keeping the mind active in healthy ways, yet libraries are not a feature of many homeless shelters.  "Read to Feed the Minds" of others by setting up distribution centers at Food Shelves. It is easy, and met with remarkable appreciation.

The "In Your Community" and FAQ's pages (right sidebar) will help you organize, provide forms and pdf's of the labels, and will answer many questions.  We will sell you labels, posters and flyers, at cost, and provide support as you work to set up your own chapter. If you need help, just ask.  We would be honored to help you to pass it on and get books into the hands of the children who most need them.



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*Read to Feed the Mind is a registered charitable 501(c)3 non-profit organization.

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