Plain and simple: We need YOU!
Every academic year, RIF of NOVA must raise over $65,000 to fund new books for 20,000 Northern Virginia children. One of the ways we do this is via our biannual Book It For Books 5K. Sponsors are required in order to make the race (and our programming) a success. At this point, we are just shy of halfway to the 2023/2024 goal.
Can we count on your support to meet this year's target? Would YOU be a sponsor? Any and all sponsorship levels count. So please help us to bring new books to kids in our own community who have few -- to no -- books of their own.
Why help? According to the U.S. Department of Education, “The only behavior measure that correlates significantly with reading scores is the number of books in the home.” Together, we can bring new books into children's homes to help them become successful readers and achievers. Just like adults, when children are able to choose their own books to read, they read more!
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Book It For Books takes place at 9 a.m. on Saturday, October 28, 2023 at Bluemont Park in Arlington, Virginia!
Please mark the date and sign on as a sponsor or donor for this majorly fun event! You can also sign up to run or walk by clicking here. Dress as a favorite literary character if you wish to add to the fun! There are also options for children's teams. Find details here!
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Thank you to the sponsors who have signed on since the August RIF RAP newsletter (see below)!!! Or click here for a list of all sponsors and donors so far. Depending on sponsorship level, your name or business logo could be shown in our next newsletter, on our website, and on our race-day t-shirt! For more info, email us at bookitforbooks2023@gmail.com.
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There's a New Author in Town!
And She's 11!
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Fifty women. Fifty inspiring stories. Fifty role models for America’s girls -- from spies to venture capitalists to doctors and diplomats. In her amazing first book -- Girl to Boss!: Advice for Girls from 50 of America's Must Successful Women -- Julia Brandus features conversations with fifty of America’s most successful women, revealing their tips on how they made it. Read the full story by clicking our Celebrating Local Authors page!
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Julia Taylor Brandus is a Virginia sixth grader who enjoys reading, math, playing soccer and learning to play the bass. She lives with her mom, dad (presidential historian and author Paul Brandus, who helped with the book), and their rambunctious Corgi.
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Julia wrote her book for girls ages nine and up as a way to help prepare her contemporaries for future jobs in a rapidly evolving economy and workforce. She asked her 50 subjects questions such as, 'What do you like best about your job?' and 'What do you know now that you wish you had known at age ten?' Without a doubt, Girl to Boss! will inspire and inform the next generation of leaders and achievers!
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The Brunson-Pitts family lives in Arlington. Gregg and Brooks have been married for 10 years and have two kids, Thomas (7) & Abby (5).
"Our family was formed through adoption. We love to travel, play games, and ride bikes together. We hope other children will enjoy these books as much as we have!"
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Anna Menjivar Rodriquez heard about RIF of NOVA and was inspired to do something to help. She turned to her colleagues working in the ICU at INOVA Fair Oaks Hospital, and they responded with generous donations of books including board books for babies to chapter books for sixth graders. |
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And giving gently used books... |
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The Groveton Elementary School Tigers were very excited to get free, gently used books courtesy of RIF of NOVA. As librarian and NOVA RIF liaison Eileen Findley wrote, "We received lots of comments like 'Wow, these are really good books,' and questions like 'For real, I don’t have to pay for it?” Thanks to generous donors in the Northern Virginia community, these deserving children were able to pick some good books to start off their new school year! |
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RIF of NOVA, the Northwest Federal Credit Union, and other community organizations came together at Dranesville Elementary School in mid-August to prepare students for the coming year. Volunteers from the NWFCU provided kindergarten through sixth grade students with backpacks and basic supplies. Then children picked up several books from the RIF of NOVA gently used book collection to sneak in some summer reading before the start of school. Just look at these happy faces! |
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Interested in holding a book drive? |
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RIF of NOVA started the gently used book program during the pandemic to augment our children's access to books. If you are interested in donating new or very gently used children's books or in setting up a book drive to do so, we have set up some guidelines to make the process easier. It's found on our Give Books website page. Click here to get there!
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Meet Two New NOVA RIF Board Members!
(find their full bios here)
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Rocco DeBonis has been a professional librarian for thirteen years, with experience managing personnel, projects, and budgets at academic, school, public, and state libraries. For four of those years, he was the head librarian at Groveton Elementary School, where he was also the RIF of NOVA liaison.
Rocco is currently the instructional librarian at the Fairfax County Adult High School serving, as he says, some of the county's most forgotten students. Most importantly, he is the proud father of two children, an elementary and a middle school student in the FCPS system.
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Over the past 30 years, Jeanette Cimino has worked in the power industry and is currently a Human Resources Vice President at The AES Corporation, a global power company based in Arlington.
Jeanette was honored when offered the opportunity to join the board of RIF of NOVA. “This invitation is a wonderful way for me to share my love of learning with others and to give back to my community. The idea of putting books in the hands of children to support their reading education is extremely exciting.”
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Are you interested in joining our board or volunteering to help with some of our activities? We'd love to talk with you! Check out our volunteer page -- here -- to learn more!
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*Send Book It For Books checks to:
Sheryl Leeds
RIF of NOVA 5K Run Treasurer
2408 Gretter Place
Alexandria, VA 22311
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Thank you for any donation -- no matter how big or small! And thank you for being part of the RIF of NOVA community!
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Please share the RAP! Forward our newsletter to your friends and anyone interested in providing books to children who need them!
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