Spring | 2016
THE BOOK REPORT N e w s a n d N o t e s a b o u t B o o k s f r o m B i r t h
Wrapping Up Ten Amazing Years! By Peter Abell, Executive Director
At the beginning of our 10th anniversary year, I read the poem “On Turning Ten” by Billy Collins at a meeting of our Board of Directors. It is a beautiful (maybe a little depressing) poem and the message I wished to convey was that as an organization, we are now grown-up. The one thing that was constantly reinforced as we spoke to hospitals, daycares, pediatric practices and programs for our society’s safety-net was that our program has been tightly woven into the fabric of parenting in Memphis. People know about it, they sign up for it, the use it and they like it. It was a wonderful and humbling lesson to learn that so many families count on Books from Birth to help them ensure there are high-quality books in their home. However, a new challenge became clear: How can we make sure we are around for another 10 years? As we were growing, we needed to prove that the program could work. Thankfully, Shelby County Schools has been tracking children from kindergarten through 4th grade and their results strongly conclude that Books form Birth makes a difference. Now that we are grown-up, we need to not only make sure every family has an opportunity to enroll, but that all of our communities are investing in this valued program as well. Through a methodical effort led by our Associate Director, Jamila Wicks, Bartlett, Germantown, Collierville and Shelby County Government have made significant financial contributions directly to offset the cost of books. We will continue to push all of the municipalities in the county to make these direct investments, involving their own residents when necessary. Throughout the year we have been visiting our most loyal supporters individually to welcome them into a special lifetime giving society, The Little Engine Circle. The members of that group have made contributions of at least $50,000 and are the lifeblood of Books from Birth. We are extremely grateful that they share our vision of a community that loves to read. We also started a club for graduating families, The Little Red Caboose Club. All parents are given the opportunity to participate and interest is rapidly growing. Both groups are listed in this newsletter. The most important thing I can do as our organization both reflects on ten wonderful years and prepares for the future, is to say thank you. Without your interest, involvement, support and guidance, this bold idea would have never left the ground. Thanks to you, at 10 years old, we are soaring.