The Partnership teamed up with Barnes & Noble Southpoint for the second annual Holiday Book Drive. Thanks to the support and generosity of the Durham community, shoppers donated more than 4,400 new books for young children—quadruple the number of books collected last year. The book drive ran from Nov. 1 to Dec. 16th, and with the help of more than a dozen community agencies, nearly 2,000 books were distributed to young children before the holidays.
The book drive brought together Durham businesses, community agencies, local government and individuals to provide children, many who may not have exposure to books, with an early childhood story of their own.
"The volume of books customers have purchased on behalf of young children is definitely a testament to the generosity of the greater Durham community," says Angela Born, Community Relations Manager for the Barnes & Noble store. "It has been a rewarding endeavor to see the outpouring of support."
This year, the Barnes and Noble staff set really high goals to make sure they communicated the need to customers to donate books to young children. The books have been distributed to area homeless shelters, family support programs focused on parent education and literacy and health programs. Also, Books have been donated to North Carolina Central University’s holiday giveaway for families in need and families served by the Partnership funded partners, such as Welcome Baby, Durham’s Alliance for Child Care Access, Healthy Families Durham, Hispanic/Latino Consultation, and El Centro Hispano’s FAMOSA. The remaining books for children k-12 will be distributed to Durham Public Schools and the Durham Public Library.
The Partnership held a literacy event at the book store on the evenings of Nov. 29 and 30. The first event featured young authors, Miles and William Rabun, ages 7 and 9, who read from their published book, My Grandma’s Backyard. The boys attended Little People 2 Day Care Center, a high-quality child care program in Durham. The second literacy event featured a reading of the 1940s classic, Runaway Bunny.
Distribution plans for 2008 call for the remaining books to be given to children during Valentine’s Day and Week of the Young Child. Also more than 600 books will be given to families who register their 4-year-olds for the More at Four Program and other Pre-K programs beginning in March.
"This book drive has given Durham’s Partnership for Children an opportunity to connect with the broader Durham community and build awareness for our work to ensure children have what they need to be prepared for kindergarten," says Karine Stallings, Community Development Manager. "Early literacy practices are important to our mission to ensure children are ready for school, making this a win-win partnership with Barnes & Noble - Southpoint."
