August Positive Change Recipient – Family Reading Partnership
A Note from GreenStar: Family Reading Partnership was selected by GreenStar members to be among our twelve 2024 Partners for Change. The Family Reading Partnership is the August Positive Change recipient.
For 27 years Family Reading Partnership has been connecting families with young children to the joy of books and read-aloud experiences to expand their horizons. We offer several programs, at dozens of access points, that gift over 20,000 children’s books each year to local families!
Summer is a wonderful time to visit one (or all!) of our 7 Story Walks across the County. These adventures are free and open to the public to enjoy anytime. Get outside, take a stroll, and enjoy a book together! Each Walk offers different scenery and terrain, and they are a great opportunity for young children to engage in kinesthetic learning. The books are swapped out seasonally, and available year-round, so you can visit again and again for a new experience! Find out how to visit here: https://www.familyreading.org/our-programs/story-walks/
No matter the time of year, The Nook at The Shops at Ithaca Mall has become a favorite destination for families in our community. The Nook is a free, child-friendly play space designed to get caregivers and children playing and communicating to naturally build essential pre-literacy skills. And there are always plenty of free books to take home! More information can be found at: https://www.familyreading.org/the-nook/
Our oldest and most well-recognized program provides 50 Bright Red Bookshelves (including one right here at Greenstar!) where families can find free, no-strings-attached books for their little ones in places they already need to be like grocery stores and human services offices. We also collaborate with medical practices in Tompkins County to gift every child a brand-new book at their medical checkups and in kindergarten, 11 books in total!
While we are well known for the programs mentioned above, FRP is often behind the scenes working with collaborators to bring books and literacy supports to families in every way we can imagine, and we cannot accomplish any of it without you!
How can you get involved?
Become a donor or sponsor. Financial support allows us to ensure that every child in Tompkins County has access to high-quality books, right from the start. Sponsorship opportunities start at $250, and gifts of any size are meaningful and appreciated. This is an inexpensive way to market your services to local families!
Become a program partner. Share books at your location, hang posters, refer families, there are endless ways to support early literacy and we would love to brainstorm with you!
Spread the word. Talk with your colleagues, family, and friends and encourage their participation with our work. Put our link on your website, like and share our social media pages, or sign up for our email newsletter.
Host a book drive or donate gently used books. We rely on book donations from our community!
Volunteer. Serve on our Board of Directors or a committee, tend a Bright Red Bookshelf, walk the Story Walks as a caretaker, or clean, sticker, or deliver books. We need lots of hands to provide our programs and volunteering is a great way to learn more about our work. We are a GreenStar Cooperator in the Community Partner, which means you can earn a discount at GreenStar when you volunteer with us! Learn more here!
To find out more, visit our website, familyreading.org or contact our Director Amber Smith at amber@familyreading.org or 607 277 8602.