If I remember correctly, the first official document I ever received with my name on it was a library card. What a terrific moment that was. I believe I had to prove that I could read well enough to qualify for a card. So I was proud that my skills were up to speed. But I think I was even prouder that it was the first time in my life I was given the opportunity to be responsible. I could go into my public library and was trusted enough to check out books under my own name. I felt so grown up.
Of course, most of the books at that point contained more pictures than words. But that didn’t matter. I took out as many as I was allowed, brought them home and devoured them. Then I bugged my mom to repeat the process. It was the start of my lifelong love of reading.
Because this love has played such an important part in my life, I was excited that my company, Never Dull Productions, was recently given the opportunity to create a video for a terrific nonprofit organization -- First Book.
Started in 1992, First Book is based on a simple, but ingenious idea -- help provide books to children who have little or no access to them.
First Book was founded by Kyle Zimmer. Zimmer was a corporate lawyer devoting her off time to tutoring children at an inner city soup kitchen when she realized there was a big stumbling block to what she was attempting to do. The children she wanted to help had no books to read. That year, she left her job, and with two friends, Peter Gold and Elizabeth Arky, founded First Book. In the initial year alone, the organization delivered 12,000 books to local communities in the Washington, DC area.
Since then, First Book has spread nationwide and into Canada. Through various programs, it has put more than 65 million books into the hands of children in need. Tell me that isn’t making a difference.
One of these programs is Reading is Fundamental. This is where our video came in. Created in 1966, RIF is another organization dedicated to getting books, free of charge, into the hands of children and families who need them most. It distributes approximately 16 million new books annually.
First Book wants to grow its relationship with RIF and work together towards their common goal of fighting illiteracy. First Book hooked us up with Reading is Fundamental’s Southern California Executive Director Carol Henault to put together a video letting RIF affiliates know about.... well, the title says it all... First Book: A Resource for RIF Programs.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
To learn more about First Book, please visit: www.firstbook.org. And you can find out more about Reading is Fundamental at http://www.rif.org/.
As we began to work with both First Book and RIF, we were amazed to hear some of the stories. There was the teacher who asked her class to bring in a book for the next day’s lesson. Three children came in with a phone book. It was the only book they could find in the house. Another one worth noting was a phone call Carol received from a parent of a child who had just received a book from RIF. She ending up speaking with both parents before convincing them that the book their son had received really did belong to him. Books were such a luxury that they couldn’t believe it.
We hope our efforts will help spread the word about First Book, RIF and the wonderful work they are doing. We want to thank RIF’s Carol Henault for being game enough to go on camera with this pitch and Joan Sahlgren and Caroline Dixon at First Book for their organizing efforts and for providing the wonderful photos that back up Carol’s words. And a special shout out to Don Garrison who introduced us to First Book and provided invaluable assistance during the shoot.
I hope you get a chance to check out these programs. You’ll never look at a book the same way again.
