Books For Kids - Erie | Newsletter | Vol 18 No 1 Winter 2008


	Books For Kids, Erie Chapter

Volume 18 No. 1 Winter 2008	An affiliate of The Books For Kids Foundation, New York, NY
Spelling Bee April 1 at Jr's
Board Members President Dean Baldwin, Ph.D. Vice-President Traci Teudhope Secretary Juan Fernandez, Ph.D. Treasurer Bob Monahan, CPA Members Kathleen Cantrell Donna Gloekler Jan Gatti Jane Hackenberg Shantel Hilliard Jane Levin Mary Jo Melvin, Ph.D. Patty Puline Florence Smith Jim Voss, CPA Webmaster Frank Singer www.booksforkids-erie.org		Preparations Are Underway Last year Books for Kids and WQLN's Family Literacy Programs sponsored Erie's first ever corporate spelling bee, and this year, plans are well under way for the second annual bee, Tuesday, April 1 from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m. The venue again this year will be Jr's Last Laugh, 1402 State St. Jr.'s will provide hors d'oeuvres; Doug's Punchline Bar will be open, as will the kitchen for those who want to order from Jr.'s ample menu. Already a number of sponsors have committed to fielding teams of three adults, including Contemporary Ophthalmology Erie County CASA Felix & Gloekler, CPA Hill, Barth, and King, LLC Little Caesar's Pizza Monahan & Monahan, CPA Schaffner, Knight, Minnaugh, CPA Northwestern PA Council of Teachers of English PSB Industries Atty. Barbara Welton These sponsors will soon be joined by several more, we hope, but if your office, business,	company, or organization would like to join in the fun and help two good causes at the same time, there is still time to sponsor a team. In addition to a trophy for the team that wins the bee, there are prizes for the team with the most spirit and the team with the most outlandish costumes. The evening of April 1 (could we have chosen a better date?) will be full of laughs, high spirits, good food and drink, and lots of fun for both contestants and participants. Again this year, WQLN will air radio and TV advertisements, with full credit going to a named sponsor at the $5,000 level. Other levels include $2,500, $1,000, $500, and $250. Tickets for spectators are only a $10.00 donation. Vouchers for tickets are available from any Books for Kids Board member. For more information call Dean Baldwin at 898-6214 or Traci Teudhope at 217-6020. Come join us at Jr's Tuesday, April 1 7:00-10:00 p.m. You'll have a spellbindingly good time!
Books for Kids, Erie Chapter P.O. Box 3059 Erie, PA 16508 (814) 898-6214 ________



11,458 Books in 2007
Books for Kids is proud to announce that during calendaar year 2007, we gave away 11,458 brand new, high quality books to the children and youth of Erie County. Contratulations and thanks are due to our hard-working distribution team, Jane Levin and Florence Smith, who faithfully and generously give of their time to promote literacy and the love of reading. Sixteen agencies and schools participated in the program during 2007: Community Service of Union City Community Shelter Services Bayfront NATO Edinboro Food Pantry Erie Co. Care Management Erie Co. Dept. of Health Erie Family Center Fairview Community Council Flagship Transition School Henderson Church Hooked on Books Lowville Food Pantry Pennbriar Child Care St. Boniface Food Pantry St. Martin Center Summit County Food Pantry Waterford Food Pantry As always, the busiest months were October through December, when over 5,900 books left our shelves. Readers who are connected to a church, non-profit agency, social service agency, or school serving needy children in Erie County are invited to request an application by calling Books for Kids at 898-6214.	Books for Kids Gets Out and About Since the last newsletter, President Dean Baldwin has twice been invited to speak before local groups about the work of Books for Kids. On December 1, Baldwin spoke before the DKG Women's Club, and on February 5 he spoke to the Erie Kiwanis noon meeting. These talks focus on the work of Books for Kids and on the serious problems of poverty and literacy both nation-wide and in Erie County. Three points bear repeating here: Two thirds of children in Erie's city schools live below the poverty line. 61% of low-income U.S. homes have no books. *The highest correlating factor for reading ability is the number of books in the home. What these figures point to is that children need books if they are going to succeed in school and in life. That's why Books for Kids is working to provide books for Erie's children and youth. Jane Hackenberg Leads books for Birthdays New board member Jane Hackenberg has taken charge of our Books for Birthdays program. This is a little-publicized effort by Books for Kids to involve parents in their children's reading. Currently, there are two	Books for Birthdays sites operating, one at the Beighborhood Art House, the other at the Union City Family Services Center. At these sites, parents may register their children to receive up to three books per year as presents for a birthday or other occasion. An outstanding feature of the program is that children need not know that the books were provided by a charity, and the parents can take credit for both providing a present and encouraging the children to read. Jane has already established a third outlet at the International Institute and is hoping to establish more in the future. We thank Jane for agreeing to take over this valuable program and congratulate the International Institute for agreeing to host the program at its headquarters. Thanks to Mary Connerty Board member Mary Connerty has reluctantly resigned her position on our board. We will miss her. Mary teaches English fulltime at Penn State Behrend and is working toward a Ph.D. in linguistics at the University of Birmingham in England. We wish her all the best as she completes the research and writing for her dissertation and hope that when she completes her degree she can once again bring her skills and enthusiasm to Books for Kids.
2





Marilyn Mehulish, Jane Levin, Sharon Ferringer and Colleen Dovichin of DKG		Dean Baldwin and Jean Tauber, President of Kiwanis

Memorials for Tom Monahan Books for Kids notes with sadness the passing of Tom A. Monahan, brother of our long-time treasurer, Bob Monahan. The Monahan family generously named Books for Kids as a recipient of memorials in Tom's honor, resulting in donations totaling $1, 675 to date. While we grieve with the Monahan family, we thank all of those who remembered him in this generous and fitting manner. Thanks to All Our New and Renewing Members Major Donors $250.^oo+ Harold & Gail Farley Finish-Thompson, Inc. Thomas J. McCarthy Benefactors $100.^oo+ Rebecca & Evan Adair Bob Brandi Stations, Inc. Country Fair, Inc. Jack Easterby Juan Fernandez-Jeminez Kathleen Frenzel Alvin & Audrey Irwin David Laurie Susan & Robert Loeb	Park United Methodist Church Mikeska, Monahan, Peckham LLP Robert & Mary Monahan John & Sarah Henne-Rees Found. Ed & Mary Jo Szewczyk in memory of Ruby Carter Patrons $50.^oo+ Maurice & Ann Baker East-West Rentals & Sales Mr. & Mrs. Bruce Epstein Judith Grand Teresa & Eric Guerrein R. & Margaret Haglin Matthew & Leigh Kennelly The Lander Family McGill Power Bell & Assoc. Roberta Nagle Barbara Pollock Edward & Florence Priebe Kimberly Riley in honor of Mary Silkworth Rod & Linda Sauer Julie Sheridan-Michalski Sponsors $25.^oo+ Paul & Janice Baker Jeanne Bender Rita & Robert Carlson Family Tom & Kathleen Dailey in honor of Dennis Keverline A.J. & B.A. Delano Delta Kappa Gamma		J. & M. Dillon Greek Ladies' Philanthropic Soc. Robert & Marjoie Hammers Sr. M. Claire Kennedy Ben & Carolyn Lane Molly & Brandon Lang David & Nancy Loker Megan Monahan Teresa G. Monahan Carol A. Pella Marjorie Podolsky Kim & David Riley Dolores Sarafinski Spring Valley Country Club Day Tennis Team Dr. David & Mary Teufel David Wilson Friends $10.^oo+ Marion Anthony Michael & Colleen Dovichin J. & K. Greulich THANKS TO ALL OUR SUPPORTERS!
3



The Books for Kids Foundation, Erie Chapter P.O. Box 3059 Erie, PA 16508	Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage PAID Erie, PA Permit No. 943
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.
4