Greetings!
April marked the two-year anniversary of the passing of our beloved Barbara Bush and commemorated Global Volunteer Month. She and President Bush set an example for volunteerism and philanthropy and continue to inspire us all to unite to address pressing community problems and help others in time of need.
While our lives have been greatly disrupted, this time certainly has allowed for renewed reflection on what and who we value and appreciate most. It has also ignited a spirit of service – from our healthcare workers, first responders, educators and others—to provide comfort and alleviate the tremendous burdens placed on our nation and those who call it home.
Since the coronavirus outbreak, we have witnessed countless individuals, organizations and companies exemplifying the human spirit of selfless servitude. In response to the great need right here in Houston, our Ladies for Literacy Guild, Young Professionals Group, corporate and school district partners, donors and staff all pivoted, yet progressed to advance our mission and make a difference in the lives of others. I encourage you to read this newsletter to learn more about what we have accomplished and how you can get involved. We may have been quarantined, but we did not quit!
More than 10 years ago, I moved to Houston because it was evident that the people in this city are philanthropic, innovative, resilient in the face of adversity and focused on solutions rather than problems. Houstonians recognize that education is truly the heartbeat of a thriving city and the pathway to empowering people to live the American Dream. I am humbled and blessed to be a part of such a remarkable community and work alongside so many incredible points of light committed to brightening the futures of children and their families.
Thank you for your selflessness in supporting our important cause.
Yours in service,
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Julie Baker Finck, Ph.D.
President
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May 9, 2020
"Pearls of Wisdom" Book Talk with Author Jean Becker, Hosted by the YPG
May 19, 2020
Ladies for Literacy Guild
Community Book Drive Book Drop-Off
May 21 & 22, 2020
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October 6, 2020
October 22, 2020
Jungle Book Gala
November 13, 2020
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#WeRead Gets Big Boost and Goes Multilingual
I
n our April newsletter we announced the launch of #WeRead, an initiative created in partnership with
Mayor Sylvester Turner
and
our
Ladies for Literacy Guild
in response to the need for high-quality digital content to support at-home and distance learning amidst school and library closures. #WeRead is a virtual read aloud program featuring videos of Bush family members, elected officials, sports professionals, authors, celebrities, auxiliary group members, leaders from our corporate and community partners and others reading their favorite children’s books aloud. The goal of #WeRead is to share the joy of stories and inspire children and families to read at home.
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We are deeply grateful for every one of the virtual volunteers who have given selflessly of their time and talent to participate in #WeRead. We invite you to participate by posting a read aloud on your social media, tagging us and using #WeRead. If your company or organization wishes to get involved, please contact us at
info@BushHoustonLiteracy.org
.
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Foundation Awarded Three Year Grant and is Hiring
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Since our inception seven years ago, we have made tremendous strides to expand our organization’s capacity and success in advancing our mission of improving lives through the power of literacy thanks in large part to the
AmeriCorps Volunteers in Service to America
(“VISTA”) program. Dozens of passionate, service-minded VISTA members over the years have helped us to mobilize thousands of volunteers and build programs to support children and families across Houston with literacy-building resources and services. We are pleased to announce that we received a new, three-year grant to host six new VISTA members each year for the next three years and are seeking passionate, service-minded individuals to join our incredible team.
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YPG executive leaders
Michael Perkins
and
Victoria Villareal
replace Barbara’s Book Box outside Memorial Elementary School for community to take a book and leave a book.
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Grateful to Ladies for Literacy Guild President
Trish Morille
for her incredible leadership and dedication to the success of #WeRead!
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Children Served by Salvation Army Receive
Books and Tablets for Learning
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We are proud to partner with The Salvation Army of Greater Houston to ensure that the more than 550 children and adults living at their Family Residence, Center of Hope, Booth Gardens, and Fonde shelters have books to read and that every school-aged student has a tablet to participate in distance learning with their teachers and access to other free digital learning tools and online resources.
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Literacy Point of Light: LyondellBasell
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We are proud to partner with Reliant to provide more than a dozen nonprofit organizations $30,000 in gift certificates for books and other learning essentials to help mitigate learning loss of children in our community due to school closures and constrained access to learning resources as a result of COVID-19. Children of low-income families typically experience annual summer learning loss; however, experts anticipate the ‘learning slide’ to be exacerbated by school closures that began in March due to the coronavirus.
“Reliant is passionate about supporting youth in our community, and we can make a real difference by putting books in children’s hands,” said Leanne Schneider, Reliant Director of Community Relations. “With school closures and the learning impacts felt nationwide due to COVID-19, our continued partnership with the Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation and the Houston Rockets is more important than ever.”
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Betty Hrncir and Sidney Faust to host
2020 Power of Literacy Luncheon
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The Ladies for Literacy Guild recently announced that founding members
Betty Hrncir
and
Sidney Faust
will serve as chairs for the
Power of Literacy Luncheon
to be held on Thursday, October 22 at The Post Oak Hotel. Betty and Sidney are two powerhouse philanthropists and charity event organizers. Among the many events on pair’s long, distinguished resumes include Salvation Army Women’s Auxiliary Reflections on Style Luncheon, Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation’s Winter Ball, Huffington Center’s Crystal Ball and Texas Children’s Cancer Center’s Celebration of Champions, just to name a few. These two passionate, dedicated women will no doubt make this year’s fifth anniversary Power of Literacy Luncheon a “must do” on your calendars.
“On behalf of the Ladies for Literacy Guild, I am thrilled that Betty and Sidney are at the helm of our signature event,” said Guild President Trish Morille. “This dynamic duo are two extraordinary leaders who have left an indelible mark on our Guild and our community. They are the perfect ambassadors for Mrs. Bush's literacy mission and chairing our signature event which fuels childhood literacy programs across our city."
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Spring Clean Your Bookshelves
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The
Ladies for Literacy Guild’s 4th Annual Community Book Drive
drop off will take place this month via convenient, curbside drop-off. We invite you to ‘Spring Clean’ your bookshelves and donate them in support of families across our city. In preparation for a successful donation, we ask that you place your books in boxes or bags in the trunk of your car or back of your SUV, sorted between new and gently used books. A volunteer will retrieve the books from your car as you pull up and placed in quarantine in our storage facility before we distribute to community partners.
If you are unable to donate books, please consider making a monetary donation. Every $5 donated provides a new book to a child in need. Simply text “HTXReads” to 41444 or visit
www.bushhoustonliteracy.org/donate
to contribute.
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Tips & Resources for Parents
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Choosing 'Just Right Books'
Choosing books with your child needs careful consideration. While there is no absolute science to choosing books that are “just right,” there are some guiding principles to inform your decisions. In this article, Foundation President Julie Baker Finck, Ph.D., provides helpful tips to guide you and your child in searching for books that will engage, inspire and aid in reading skill development.
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Engage Your Family in Literacy
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We are proud to partner with
Children’s Museum Houston
to expand resources from the wildly popular Family Literacy Involvement Program (“FLIP”) developed by the Museum in partnership with Children’s Learning Institute and Houston Public Library. The fabulous team of educators at the Museum are creating videos to facilitate FLIP-themed literacy programming accessible online and via FOX My20 live stream cable channel for preschoolers and their parents. Each activity will include an interactive activity to try at home as part of a Daily Virtual Learning Broadcast Schedule to bring the Museum to you and extend learning at home.
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We wish to thank
Castro’s Kids
,
Megan and Andrew Levy
,
Hess Corporation
and
Houston Texans
for contributing to our effort to place new books in the hands of Houston children as schools and libraries remain closed due to coronavirus. More than 15,000 books will be made possible through their generosity.
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