Do you remember when 12 cents was a lot of money? It was treasure accumulated from under the chair, picked up off the sidewalk, and on the couch. You would clutch that 12 cents in your pocket or purse for days until a parent made you put it into the piggy bank or (if you are my age) could buy candy with it.
Not long ago Kids Need to Read received a donation of 12 cents. This money was from a little girl at a community event who was so excited to receive books for herself and for her siblings. I knew that 12 cents was precious, and I told her that she did not need to give us her money, but she said firmly, “I want to help others get books like I did.”
All donations are precious to us because every dollar donated goes towards something that is bigger than Kids Need to Read. It goes towards making a child’s future brighter with the light of literacy.
Your donation of any amount will directly contribute to providing books, resources, and educational opportunities to children who need them the most. Just like the 12 cents from a compassionate young girl, your contribution, whether it’s $10, $50, or more, will bring the joy of reading to children and light up their future.
With warm regards,
Jessica Payne,
Executive Director
Kids Need to Read
With imaginative characters such as superheroes and mermaids, the Page Coach program’s “Storybook Adventures” initiative was one of the most requested events this summer. An amazing 38 story times were performed through the Phoenix and Mesa area during the summer months of May, June, and July.
A thank you as well to the cosplay groups and organizations who support Storybook Adventures with their talented members. Groups of note are The Arizona Renaissance Festival, Arizona Justice League, Arizona Ghostbusters, Timeless Enchantments of Tucson, Arizona Star Wars Clubs, and Off the Page of Phoenix.
Special thank you to Square Egg Entertainment for appointing Kids Need to Read as the charity of choice at the annual Phoenix Fan Fusion. This comic and popular culture is a fixture in Phoenix, and we are honored that they have chosen to be a part of the Kids Need to Read story.
The “Back to School,” season has officially ended, and class is in session! Kids Need to Read was proud to provide classroom libraries to support teachers, attend community nights to welcome students to school, and bring new books to school libraries to bolster school collections.
Over all Kids Need to Read provided books to over 18 different schools and over 6,000 children in the months of July, August, and September.
Thank You To Our Program Sponsors
Adobe Express
Arizona Federal Credit Union
Arizona Renaissance Festival
America Girl Publishing
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona
Bookmans Entertainment Exchange Mesa
Cardinals Charities
Cox Charities
Employees Community Fund of Boeing Arizona
Highlights for Children
Kathy and Jerry Wood Foundation
Barnes & Noble Phoenix bookstores
Little Egg Publishing
Mesa United Way
PetSmart Charities/PetSmart Phoenix
Pi Beta Phi Arizona Alpha Chapter
Pi Beta Phi Arizona Beta Chapter
Pi Beta Phi Foundation
Pi Beta Phi Phoenix Alumnae Club
Thunderbirds Charities
Western Alliance Bank
