Ravenna – First Book – Portage County announced today it is accepting book grant applications from community groups and nonprofits. This spring, First Book – Portage County plans to grant out approximately 1500 new books to programs in Portage County. Teachers and directors of local preschools, day care, after-school, tutoring and mentoring programs are encouraged to apply on behalf of their programs. To be eligible to receive a First Book grant, organizations are required to: incorporate reading as part of their program activities, serve children and families from low-income households, provide distribution to each child in the program, and support the child’s ongoing education outside of the school classroom setting. Applications are due by March 15.
Each child participating in a program that receives a grant will receive at least 4 books each, which enables the children to start their own home libraries they can share with their siblings and families. The book grants are made possible through local fundraising efforts by members of First Book – Portage County.
“The children’s faces light up when they discover they can keep these books and take them home to read over and over again,” states Dianna Baycich, Chair, First Book – Portage County. “We hope to share this excitement by providing brand new books to hundreds of children throughout Portage County and invite teachers and community groups to find out more.”
To fill out an application, visit www.firstbook.org/receive-books or send an email to firstbookportagecounty@gmail.com for more information.
About First Book – Portage County
First Book – Portage County provides new books to children in need, addressing one of the most important factors affecting literacy – access to books. First Book – Portage County has distributed books to programs serving low-income children since 1995. First Book – Portage County meets the third Tuesday of every month at Reed Memorial Library. For more information, visit www.firstbook.org/portagecounty or email firstbookportagecounty@gmail.com
