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February 2015 3,490,047 books distributed since December 2009!
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JOIN READ ACROSS AMERICA WITH A BOOK DRIVE
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 Mark Your Calendars!
Read Across America Day is
Monday, March 2, 2015
National Education Association's
Read Across America is an annual reading motivation and awareness program that calls for every child in every community to celebrate reading on March 2, the birthday of beloved children's author Dr. Seuss.
We are currently scheduling school book drives to coincide with this fun, engaging event.
We'll provide you with everything you need to get your entire school community involved - including Read Across America tools, posters, collection bins, easel signage and pick up of all books collected.
To schedule a book drive for Read Across America Day, contact
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MEET OUR NEWEST TEAM MEMBER
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Please welcome our newest team member, Audra Ebling! Audra will be working in our processing center on Mondays, Saturdays and during special events as our Assistant Processing Center Specialist.
The first time Audra first set foot in Bernie's Book Bank, with her son's high school swim team, she was immediately drawn to its mission and the energy of staff and volunteers alike. Not long after, she joined the staff as a part-time Assistant Processing Center Specialist. "I'm happy to be part of a team that's doing such important work on behalf of children who aren't as fortunate as I was. I've always believed that reading is the key to opening many doors."
Books have been constant companions throughout Audra's life, starting with her childhood in Chicago and when she was an English major at the University of Illinois. Kicking back with a book continues to be her favorite pastime. She lives in Park Ridge with her husband, two teenage sons and lots of books, including a complete set of 1970s-era Nancy Drews.
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Our Mission
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Bernie's Book Bank collects, processes and distributes quality new and gently used children's books to significantly increase BOOK OWNERSHIP among at-risk infants, toddlers and school age children throughout Chicagoland.
We have distributed over
3.4 MILLION books since December 2009 and now serve more than 100,000 at-risk children annually.
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Our Goal
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To collect, process and distribute 4 MILLION books per year, serving all estimated 400,000 at-risk children in the Chicagoland area with 12 quality books per year by 2016.
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Watch Our Video
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Bernie's Book Bank Distribution Video
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THANK YOU TO THE GODDARD SCHOOL
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A huge thank you to The Goddard School for Early Childhood Development! They hosted a book drive at 18 of their Chicagoland locations and collected more than 25,000 books for the children we serve.
They brought in a kindergarten class to deliver the books and spend the morning volunteering. We had a great time with their students, several school owners and members of the press!
Watch the video and read the article in the Daily Herald.
Check out ABC7's coverage.
 We just love that they are making service learning a regular part of their classroom curriculum. Click on their logo to find a school near you!
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CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR RAFFLE WINNERS
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Congratulations to Mary Lou Foss. She won our
Volunteer Appreciation Month Raffle for a brand new SAMSUNG GALAXY TAB 4 NOOK 7.0!
She said, "It makes me feel good to volunteer for a wonderful organization that's doing a fine job of getting our kids to read." When we presented her with her prize, she said, "I am an avid reader myself, so I will enjoy this!
Many thanks to Meredith and Kevin Long, who generously donated Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 Nook as our prize!
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And congratulations to Angela Carbol of Gurnee and her family. She won our $50 gift card to Target during our online Volunteer Group Referral Raffle.She came to volunteer with her son, Benjamin and said, "Bernie's Book Bank is a great way to become part of something bigger."
Be sure to enter our Volunteer Raffle when you volunteer between now and February 16th. Our next prize is Barnes & Noble Gift Card!
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Dear Fellow Berniacs,
Hope your year is off to a great start!
As we set out to take Bernie's Book Bank to the next level this year, I wanted to share a wonderful new word we learned during our most recent Team Development Day.
An anthropologist proposed a game to the kids in an African tribe. He put a basket full of fruit near a tree and told them that whoever got there first won the sweet fruits. When he gave them the signal to run they all took each other's hands and ran together, then sat in a circle enjoying their treats.
When he asked them why they chose to run as a group when they could have had more fruit individually, one child spoke up and said, "UBUNTU, how can one of us be happy if all the other ones are sad?"
UBUNTU in the Xhosa culture means: "I am because we are".
Awesome words of wisdom that apply to Bernie's Book Bank so perfectly.
WE, you and us, can do incredible things together.
Here WE come 2015!
Brian Floriani
Founder & Executive Director
847-780-READ (7323)
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