This week I’d like to refer you to a letter I received from the President of First Book:

Dear Jim,

Reading is Fundamental (RIF), a national nonprofit literacy organization and a good friend of First Book, needs your help. The President’s proposed fiscal year 2009 budget eliminates the RIF Book Distribution Program. Unless Congress reinstates funding for this program, RIF will be unable to distribute 16 million books annually to the nation’s youngest and most at-risk children.

While RIF is hard at work demonstrating to Congress the importance of reinstating their program’s funding, they need the help of all of us who believe in the power of books in the lives of children. We urge all of the First Book community to reach out to their members of Congress to request the reinstatement of RIF funding. Your voice, as a constituent, is the most important resource we have to make sure that Congress protects this critical program.

Please visit rif.org and help RIF build support in Congress for reinstating the funding. RIF will regularly update the website to show the ways you can most help!

We hope you will share this message with family, friends and colleagues. Thank you for your support as First Book and RIF work to bring new books and resources to the kids who need them most!

Sincerely,


Kyle Zimmer
President , First Book

RIF, if you don’t know, is one of the pioneers of kid-directed book distribution programs. I’ve already reached out. Do you think you might take a couple minutes to reach out to your congresspersons?

Infusing a love of books in our own kids is challenging enough . . . imagine how hard it is to do in families without our resources and level of education.