Books For Kids - Erie | Newsletter | Vol 16 No 1 Winter 2006


	Books For Kids, Erie Chapter

Volume 16 No. 1 Winter 2006	An affiliate of The Books For Kids Foundation, New York, NY
6,879 Books in 2005
Board Members President Dean Baldwin, Ph.D. Secretary Juan Fernandez, Ph.D. Treasurer Bob Monahan, CPA Members Kathleen Cantrell Donna Gloekler Shantel Hilliard Jane Levin Mary Connerty Mary Jo Melvin, Ph.D. Patty Puline Florence Smith Jim Voss, CPA Webmaster Frank Singer		Books for Kids, Erie Chapter gave away nearly 7,000 books in 2005, bringing our total to approximately 165,000 since our inception in 1990. Credit for this success goes to Florence Smith and Mrs. Jane Levin, who head up our distribution efforts by receiving applications, making appointments with those whose applications have been approved, and helping them select appropriate books from our warehouse stock at 2419 Holland St. We thank Jane and Flo for their hard work. Without their efforts, Books for Kids’ mission could not be accomplished. Among the many agencies and schools to receive books during 2005 were The Erie Country Department of Health, Perseus House, Summit Community Food Pantry, Champs After School Program, Even Start Summer Reading Program, Success by Six, Fairview Presbyterian Church, St. Benedict Education Center, YMCA Kids’ Club, Achievement Center, Gannon University Social Work Club, and Emerson Gridley School. In addition to these agencies, our three Books for Birthdays outlets—GECAC Learning Center. Neighborhood Art House, and the Union City Family Support Center—distributed a total of 700 books.	Congratulations to all the agencies and schools who applied for and received our books. Your commitment to literacy and life-long learning is a vital part of our “mission accomplished” for 2005. Spelling Bee Fundraiser Planned Everyone knows what a spelling bee is; America has been holding such bees for children for well over a century. These days, there is a new twist on this old tradition: it’s called a Corporate Spelling Bee, and it involves not school children but adults as contestants. That’s right. Adults now have the chance to prove their mastery of the vagaries of English spelling by taking part in company sponsored spelling contests to raise money for charities. In general, these contests feature teams of three adults sponsored by a business or company. Unlike the children’s events that often last for days, corporate bees last only a couple of hours during an evening. In addition to the spelling contest, food, drink, and side entertainments like silent auctions and 50-50 drawings keep participants and spectators well entertained. Books for Kids is joining with WQLN to sponsor a corporate spelling bee in October of 2006. (Continued on Page 2)
Books for Kids, Erie Chapter P.O. Box 3059 Erie, PA 16508 (814) 898-6214 ________


(Continued from Page 1) Sponsors and Volunteers Needed Members of Books for Kids are invited to volunteer to help with the spelling bee fundraiser in a number of ways. We need members for an ad hoc planning committee, donations of items for auction or raffle drawings, business and corporate sponsors to enter teams, and volunteers to help with on-site arrangements on the evening of the event. If you would like to volunteer, or if you can suggest a business or company that might be willing to sponsor a team, or if you just have questions about the event, call Dean Baldwin and 864-8164 or Patty Puline at 572-3155. We’ll keep you posted on developments. Turn on To Literacy Programs With WQLN In our last issue, we reported that Books for Kids and WQLN have joined forces for the “Turn on to Literacy” program to encourage in home education among low income families. President Dean Baldwin made presentations at St. Martin’s School, Franklin Terrace, and Harbor Homes during January, February, and March to parents and children at these locations. Those eligible are parents of children 2 ½ to 5 years old who are involved in Head Start programs. WQLN runs a series of four workshops on the importance of getting children ready for school and life by stressing media literacy, active learning, and of course in-home reading. Parents who attend all four workshops are rewarded with twelve free books provided by the program’s sponsors.	Parents Select Books Provided by Books for Kids
	Parents, Children at WQLN-Books for Kids Literacy Workshop
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The Books for Kids’ presentation at the end of the program stresses the need for continued in-home reading. The presentations show parents how to read aloud to children of various ages, suggest reading activities that can keep both parents and children involved, encourage fathers to become actively involved in reading to their children, and finally provide each family with two or three additional books. Parents are also given the opportunity to enroll their children in the Books for Birthdays program, which enables them to choose up to three books a year for each child in the family, until the children reach age 18. Porter’s Restaurant Benefits Books for Kids Because of the efforts of Board member Patty Puline, Books for Kids was generously included in Porters Restaurant’s “Dining While Donating” benefit. During this program, Porters donated 20% of its luncheon sales during a special “Books for Kids” week. The benefit program resulted in a check for $371.66 to Books for Kids. In addition to sharing generously in its profits, Porters gave Books for Kids the opportunity to place publicity materials on each table, thereby allowing luncheon patrons to learn more about Books for Kids and its efforts to promote literacy in Erie County. Everyone associated with Books for Kids is grateful to Mr. William J. Miller III and Mr. Mathew B. Kramer	for their generous support of Books for Kids through this program. THANKS, PORTERS! Thanks to Departing Board Members A consistent strength of Books for Kids, Erie Chapter is its dedicated and hard-working board members. It is always hard to say “Farewell” to board members who must leave us, but at the same time it is a pleasure to acknowledge their contributions and to wish them well in their future endeavors. It is our melancholy pleasure, therefore, to thank Vice-President Chris Kovski for his many, many years of service on the Books for Kids board. Chris is leaving his position with the Elderkin Law firm to take a job in Warren, PA, where he and his wife and new baby will be moving. We will also miss the ever-vivacious Joy Sweeting, who finds herself involved in work and many other activities and hence must give up her position with Books for Kids. We have valued Joy’s contributions and will miss her energy and enthusiasm. Thanks, Chris and Joy, for all you have done for Books for Kids. Please Check Your Mailing Label If you want to know whether your Books for Kids membership is up to date, check the date on the mailing label of this newsletter. The date your membership expires is given there.	Thanks to New and Renewing Members Major Contributors $250.^oo+ Harold & Gail Farley Marian E. Hasslacher Memorial Fund Porters Restaurant Benefactors $100.^oo+ Joseph & Roberta Duska \| Shirley & Hal Fuller \| Kathleen M. Frenzel \| Michael & Barbara Haggerty \| Alvin & Audrey Irwin \| Richard & Jo Laurie \| J. & P. Mosher \| Edward & Florence Priebe \| John Nesbit Rees & Sarah Henne Rees Charitable Foundation \| Remco \| James S. Stolley \| Linda and Rod Sauer \| NW PA Council of Teachers of English Patrons $50.^oo+ Carla Clark \| R. & Valerie Gray \| Martha Hilbert \| Ethel Kochel \| Dr. Howard & Jane Levin \| National Fuel Employees Federal Credit Union \| Don & Barb Proctor \| Lucia Salvia Sponsors $25.^oo+ P. & J. Baker \| Jeanne Bender \| Neva & C. V. Cunningham \| P.A. Davis \| Elbert & Helen Friend \| B. & J. Jones \| W. & A. Joslin \| Jim and Gail Kurre \| Betty Motsch \| Dr. Charisse Nixon \| Joe & Marge Podolsky \| S. Renner \| T. & B. Schaeffer \| John & Sharon Schultz \| South End Benefit Assoc. \| Dr. David & Mary Teufel \| Rod & Judy Troester Friends $10.^oo+ Mike and Maryann Chiteman \| M. P. Fogle \| L. W. Garrelts \| Earleen Glaser \| E. Goodrich \| T. Lewandowski \| Patricia Lynch \| Larry Sawdy \| E. Scarpelli \| Douglas Smith \| A. Steinker \| D. & M. Tammaro \| I. & N. Thompson \| Soledad Traverso
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WON'T YOU PLEASE HELP US?

Please use this coupon to lend us your support. The children and youth of Erie County will thank you.
[Has your membership expired? The date on the mailing label indicates your last donation.]

____ Major Donor $250+

____ Benefactor $100+

____ Patron $50+

____ Sponsor $25+

____ Friend $10+

Mail the completed form and check payable to "Books for Kids, Erie Chapter," P.O. Box 3059 Erie, PA 16508.

Donations to Books for Kids are tax deductible for those who itemize.

6,879 Books in 2005