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 First Book and eBay to Empower 50,000 Programs-if you help! Would we know Einstein’s name if he had never learned to read? First Book, with the support of eBay Foundation, has set the ambitious goal of connecting 50,000 community-based programs nationwide with access to an ongoing supply of new books. You have helped us reach and raise funds for local disadvantaged and hard-to-reach children in your community. Will you help us once again connect children to the power of books?
Less than 7 days remain: please help us spread the word today.
Every dollar you give brings us one step closer to our goal. Donate to First Book now through June 30 and eBay Foundation will match your gift with an extra dollar.
Remember to Keep Your ABs In Shape. We are now officially in the time frame outlined for the summertime incentive program. As announced last month, this incentive is focused on rewarding AB fundraising and catalog book grant activity. Additional Borders gift cards will be given to the ABs who award the most dollars in book grants and to the ABs that raise the most money between June 1 and August 31.
Your Community Development representative will be tracking all fundraising and catalog book granting activities and will determine the winners from each region. The deadline for getting donation checks and catalog book grant applications to the National office is September 15th. Good luck to all of our amazing volunteers!
You will need to take a moment to register in order to post if you haven’t done so already. And while you’re there, take a look around and see if you’d like to post questions or comments regarding topics relevant to running successful First Book Advisory Boards. Take advantage of this new online forum, where we can share our stories and best practices and strengthen our nationwide network of Advisory Boards.
 Celebrate summer reading! Is your AB planning a special summer reading event? Research shows children lose one to three months of learning every summer -- to help reverse this trend the First Book Marketplace has added a range of wonderful titles to make reading cool no matter how hot it is outside. Find new titles, award-winners, multi-title collections, board books, Spanish titles, and much more at www.fbmarketplace.org.
First Book-Charlotte Celebrates Second Annual Gala. Entitled "An Evening of Magic", First Book-Charlotte’s second annual fundraising gala was a huge success. Scores of Charlotte residents arrived at the impressive ImagineOn children's library dressed in their best evening wear ready to bid on impressive Silent Auction goodies, all to provide new books to local children in need.
Throughout the evening good times were had by all: attendees were awed by the guest magician's magic tricks, couples and groups of friends stood in line to have themselves sketched by an incredible local sketch artist, and later everyone sipped on 'Speed Read-tinis', cocktails specially made by the caterer to kick off the evening's Speed Read.
Not only was First Book- Charlotte celebrating with their supporters their success of providing more than 25,000 new books to community programs, they were also sharing their goals for this upcoming year, and their hope to provide thousands more new books to even more deserving programs.
While the evening was boisterous and full of entertainment, no one forgot the real reason for being there, and supporters were moved by stories of children elated to receive a book of their very own, to take home and keep.
Congratulations, First Book- Charlotte, on another incredible year and such a wonderful evening filled with magic!
First Book Welcomes Emily Amarel. Emily Amarel recently joined First Book as the newest member of the Community Development staff. Emily is originally from Northern California and has lived in Washington, DC for almost two years. Before coming to First Book, she worked for an education based organization, Community Action Volunteers in Education, which focuses on civic-learning.
Most recently she worked for United Educators, a company which provides risk management and risk services for educational institutions. Emily completed her Bachelor’s degree at California State University, Chico as a double major in International Relations and Spanish. She spends the majority of her free time traveling and spending time outdoors.
First Book is thrilled to welcome Emily to our team.
Heather Winsby, First Book-St. Louis. First Book is proud to congratulate Heather Winsby, chair of First Book-St. Louis, in her recent honor of receiving the Junior League's Drue Lane Webster Volunteer Service Award for outstanding volunteer service in the community.
Junior League St. Louis established the award in response to a contribution given by the honorable William H. Webster in memory of his wife, Drue. Since 1985, 37 women have been honored because they exemplify Drue's selfless style of volunteerism and service to the community and the Junior League. After ten years of chairing First Book-St. Louis and overseeing the distribution of more than 70,000 new books to local programs, it is no wonder that Heather Winsby was chosen as this year's recipient.
Community Development representative Anna Williamson was there to receive the $500 donation on behalf of First Book-St. Louis and share First Book's excitement on this award. Congratulations, Heather!
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