School started over a month ago and we're still adjusting to the homework, new schedules, routines, and early hours of the morning. The start of a new school year can be really stressful on parents and children, alike, so I was beyond excited when Nestle asked me to host a Happy New School Year Bash to celebrate, not only the 2010-2011 school year with families, but to, also, promote literacy in my community. Nestle is a big supporter of education. More specifically, it promotes literacy through the Reading Is Fundamental organization and I was thrilled to be asked to raise awareness and help support local markets.


About Reading Is Fundamental:

Reading Is Fundamental (RIF) is the largest children’s literacy nonprofit in the United States. They prepare and motivate children to read by delivering free books and literacy resources to those children and families who need them most. RIF provides new, free books for children to choose from and make their own. Their mission is to motivate young children to read by working with them, their parents, and community members to make reading a fun and beneficial part of everyday life. RIF's highest priority is reaching underserved children from birth to age 8.

Momma Findings:


On September 21st I held my Happy New School Year Bash, gathering gently used books from attendees to include with the $350 worth of NEW books Nestle, so generously, donated. We talked about reading in our family, how to encourage our children to WANT to read, but most importantly we had a time to relax, lean on one another, and enjoy a night with good food and good company. You know we ALL need that from time to time, right?

Nestle provided lots of great food and even an awesome door prize. I made it really fun by including numbers upon sign in to win a lunch box filled with Nestle goodies and an Amazon gift card. Yeah, my 3-yr-old cried when he realized we were giving it away and he couldn't keep it, but the look on the winners face was well worth it:


The Power to Choose:

RIF has a variety of programs for families and communities, including Family of Readers, Care to Read, and, my personal favorite, Books for Ownership. Children participating in RIF’s flagship Books for Ownership (BFO) program have these opportunities multiple times a year. RIF’s passion for literacy creates a unique method of distribution: Dozens of books are displayed, allowing children to explore their interests and make their own choices. The book distributions and enhanced by fun, reading motivational activities. These range from simple one-to-one read-alouds with volunteers, to elaborate reading-themed carnivals that involve entire communities.

Opportunities and programs, like this, give children and families the power to choose education and success for the future and, I think, it's my favorite, because growing up I didn't have many books that I owned and, as a parent now, I feel it's important to build a personal library to escape to. Like my family growing up, this can be hard to do financially, but through this program RIF can help.


Through my partnership with Nestle and RIF, I, too, had the power to choose. Looking through the Baytown Area RIF schools, I picked a local school to be the recipient of all the books we gathered at the party. Stay tuned for who was chosen, why we chose them, and a, first hand look at the day we delivered.



This post made possible by Nestle, who provided all the necessities for the party including food, eating utensils, decorations, goodie bags, and door prizes. Nestle does not represent or warrant the accuracy of any statements or product claims made here, nor does it endorse any opinions expressed within this blog site. Although opinions stated are, solely, my own, I was compensated for my participation and effort in the initiative.

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