March 2015
3,642,229 books distributed since December 2009!

 
THANK YOU FROM A CHILD
4TH ANNUAL BOOK LOVERS' LUNCH
Join us for the 4th Annual Book Lovers' Lunch on Friday, May 1st, featuring
Bestselling Author Allison Pataki.

The Book Lovers' Lunch, which includes a presentation by Allison and a raffle with exciting prizes, will take place at Exmoor Country Club in Highland Park.  All proceeds benefit the mission of Bernie's Book Bank.

Allison's latest novel, The Accidental Empress, tells "the little known and tumultuous love story of Sisi the Austro-Hungarian Empress and captivating wife of Emperor Franz Joseph."  Just published, The Accidental Empress is already #7 on the New York Times Bestseller list!
  
Tickets are $145 per person and includes a signed copy of The Accidental Empress. Seating is limited. 
35,000 BOOKS: ST. CHARLES COMMUNITY DRIVE

A big shout out to the community of St. Charles and devoted literacy champion, Amy Kappele.  


For the 4th year in a row, the school district, public library, park district community center and local businesses are working together towards an impressive book collection goal: 35,000 books!

Amy Kappele is a reading specialist in St. Charles.  She says, "I was hooked from the moment I walked in Bernie's Book Bank and saw books overflowing from the sorting bins. I knew I had found a place that could change lives! As a reading specialist, I see the impact that book ownership can have on a child's life....from the words that fill their minds, the creativity and imagination that shapes their ideas and the joy they have when they can call a book their own." 

THANK YOU ST. CHARLES!
In This Issue
Thank You From A Child
Book Lovers' Lunch
St. Charles Community Book Drive
Take 20, Read Plenty
Week of the Young Child
Celebrating Forest & Found
A Message From Brian
Our Mission

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 
3.6 MILLION books since December 2009 and now serve more than 100,000 at-risk children annually.

Our Goal
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
Bernie's Book Bank Distribution Video
Bernie's Book Bank Distribution Video
TAKE 20, READ PLENTY
Mayor Rahm Emanuel, First Lady Amy Rule, Chicago Public Library and Bernie's Book Bank encourage you to Take 20, Read Plenty!  
Join us by pledging to take 20 minutes every day to read with a child. It's the most important 20 minutes of the day.

 

Watch this video and share! You can see children we serve receiving books and Executive Director Brian Floriani speaking about why we are involved in this important project!

 

Click here to take the pledge. You can also take the pledge by posting on social media with the hashtag #IPledge20.
 

Take 20 Read Plenty
WEEK OF THE YOUNG CHILD
NAEYC's Week of the Young Child is coming April 12-18, 2015!
 
This week long campaign focuses public attention on the needs of young children and their families and recognizes the early childhood programs and services that meet those needs.  
The National Association for the Education of Young Children is the largest organization of early childhood educators and others dedicated to improving the quality of early education programs for children birth through age 8.

We are currently scheduling school book drives to coincide with this week long celebration of our youngest learners.  

We'll provide you with everything you need to create a fun and engaging literacy event for your celebration, including posters, collection bins, easel signage and pick up of all books collected. 
 
To schedule a book drive during Week of the Young Child, contact
Dawn, Book Collections Manager at dawn@berniesbookbank.org
FOREST & FOUND
Congratulations to Forest & Found: The Art of Charitable Thrift!  They are celebrating their 1st year in business and we are so grateful for their generosity!

This terrific shop in downtown Lake Forest curates the best in 2nd hand goods and shares the profits with Bernie's Book Bank and A Safe Place Domestic Violence Shelter.

Check them out at 1363 N. Western Ave. in Lake Forest.
A MESSAGE FROM BRIAN

Dear Fellow Berniacs,

 

Chicagoans usually associate winter with words like dormant, hibernate, grey, dreary, survival, frigid, bleak, harsh and the sniffles, just to name a few.


At Bernie's Book Bank, we associate winter with words like growth, vibrant, opportunity, brightness, blossom, progress & development.

 

This winter is no exception.  I am extremely encouraged by how we continue to scale our impact and operations.  Over the past 3 months, we have averaged collecting, processing & distributing more than 145,000 quality children's books each month.


 

Thank YOU for being a part of this incredible growth, YOU are Bernie's Book Bank.

 

We continue to push towards our goal to collect, process and distribute 4 MILLION books every year (serving every at-risk Chicagoland child with 12 quality books a year).

To do so will require us to grow in every way.  Most importantly, we will need more Berniacs.

 

You can help by forwarding this newsletter on to all of your friends!

 

Thank you in advance.

 

Brian's signature 

Brian Floriani

Founder & Executive Director
847-780-READ (7323)