Friday, November 9, 2007

NMHS Community Service Project-Books for Foster Kids! ReadAThon! Sign up Today!!

Hello all! This is a Reach for the Stars Reading Incentive Challenge from November 10-24, 2007!

As homeschoolers we often have access to a bountiful amount of books to read and browse through our homes and libraries. Sometimes we forget that not all children in our community have these advantages of learning about a new world, sharing adventures with a favorite character or sitting down as a family to read aloud. The foster children in our community are one of these groups of children.

In conjunction with the New Mexico Children, Youth and Families Department, I am trying to raise over 500 new books (we are already at 300 from our previous email) to give one to every foster child in the Albuquerque area this holiday season. These children quite often come from homes that do not value or encourage literacy. Many of them may not even own a book or have a library card. We want to help encourage them in their reading. Sometimes, just getting one book can make all the difference. You can help us make a difference in the lives of these children. You can help FOSTER LITERACY!


Starting tomorrow we are providing an exciting reading-incentive challenge called REACH FOR THE STARS!! The goal is to motivate our children to read, keep them reading, and then reward them with books! Your child benefits with reading and earning books. The Foster children of Bernalillo County will benefit with books!

Here is the bonus: You will receive books of your choice with 50% if the money you collect!!! The remaining 50% of the money collected will go for the new books to give to the children entering foster care! No catches, no gimmicks!!!

Goal: Provide a new book to every foster child in Bernalillo County (Albuquerque) this Christmas.

It takes only one decision to help. One person making a difference. One child's life that is changed forever, one book at a time.

Here is how it works:

Step 1: Accept the Challenge! Read or be read to for at least 300 minutes in 2 weeks. That is only 22 minutes for 14 days! Have every child in your family accept the challenge!

Step 2: My Sponsor Sheet! Ask your family and friends to support reading! Collect pledges from friends, neighbors, relatives who support your child's reading (door-to-door solicitation is discouraged). Once you sign up I will email you a pledge sheet on which to record pledges! I would encourage people to pledge in whole dollar amounts as opposed to per minute (I personally know my kids can read all day if left alone)!

Step 3: My Reading Journal! Once you sign up I will email you a Reading Journal on which to log your time!

Step 4: My Wish List! Go to my website www.IfWishesWereBooks.com to look for books each one of your children want to add to their wishlist!

Step 5: Book Order Form! Turn in your order form and the money collected to me on November 24th! This can all be done via email and/or over the phone!

Questions:

I do not live in Albuquerque but I still want to help! --Everyone can participate, no matter their location. Transactions can be done over the phone and through the email. Or better yet let me set up a Reach For the Stars program in your community and you can donate the money and or books earned to your charity of choice!

Who can participate? --Any child, any age from 0 on up!! They can read or be read to!

How does it work exactly? --$50 in pledge money you collect means: $25 in books for you to keep!!! $25 in books goes to the foster kids!!! $100 in pledge money you collect means: $50 in books for you to keep!!! $50 in books goes to the foster kids!!!

When do I get my books? --Your books will arrive approximately 3 weeks after the program ends! I will receive the books and give them to you. If you do not live in the area a flat $5 shipping fee will be applied no matter the amount of books ordered.

How will the books get to the foster kids? --The books will be received by myself and taken to Theresa Zuments who began this book campaign. She is an Usborne Books Supervisor and can be reached at tzuments@myubah.com if you have any questions. An email will then be sent out to everyone who participated and our community telling exactly how many books were donated!

What is the catch?--There is NO CATCH! You can even donate ALL the money towards books for the foster kids!

How do I register? -- Email me with your name, address, phone and email and your children's names that will be participating! I will email you the pledge form and wishlist! Feel free to forward this email!

Email me with ANY questions!

If you do want to purchase additional books for your family, you can do so at my website www.IfWishesWereBooks.com Click on the link under eFairs titled 'New Mexico HS Community' .


Yours Sincerely, Tabitha Orr --in this capacity--Ind. Usborne Books Consultant

(505) 792-4110

TabithaOrr@myubah.com (or reply to this email)

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