Thanks to Rachel Michael's Gourmet Popcorn for helping us with our fundraising effort! We had a great time.
Local support for Books 4 Buddies is vital.
Original article posted in The Toldeo Blade - 10/27/2015
In response to your Oct. 2 article “Stories shared in Spanish; Volunteers read as part of Books 4 Buddies”: Research has shown that good literacy skills are linked with higher self-esteem, better health, better jobs, and higher wages.
Unfortunately, two thirds of America’s children who live in poverty have no books at home. That leaves them at significant risk of falling behind their peers in literacy and overall academic achievement.
In Ohio, a campaign is under way to ensure that all children have access to the reading materials they need to achieve. Books 4 Buddies is a local nonprofit organization that collects and distributes new and gently used books for disadvantaged children and young adults. Founded in 2012, it has donated more than 30,000 books in northwest Ohio and beyond.
Providing access to reading material is crucial to addressing the educational disparities we encounter in our state. I applaud the good work done by Books 4 Buddies and other charitable organizations.
I encourage this community to make a commitment to improving child literacy rates, whether that means parents taking their kids to the library, young adults tutoring children after school, or community members donating books to or becoming engaged with organizations such as Books 4 Buddies.
Books 4 Buddies will hold a fund-raiser from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. today at Rachel Michael’s Gourmet Popcorn, 5307 Monroe St. Thirty percent of proceeds from today’s popcorn sales will go to Books 4 Buddies.
Together, we can ensure our next generation has the literacy tools it will need to succeed in the classroom and in life.
MICHAEL SHEEHY
Ohio House of Representatives
46th District
Oregon
Stories shared in Spanish: Volunteers read as part of Books 4 Buddies
Original article posted in The Toldeo Blade - 10/2/2015
WOODVILLE — The squirming, smiling preschoolers couldn’t contain their excitement on Thursday as a roomful of visitors came to read and deliver books to them.
The 15 children, all students at the Migrant Head Start in Helena, listened to several volunteers in a Spanish read-aloud as part of the Toledo-based Books 4 Buddies program, which provides free books to area children and promotes literacy.
“We think if you become good readers, you will be good students,” said Christopher Smith, a mentor with Books 4 Buddies.
“Cool!” exclaimed 4-year-old Carlos Gonzalez, eliciting a laugh from the crowd.
“Yes, exactly right,” Mr. Smith said. “Reading is cool, never forget that. The more you read, the more you learn and the more options you create for yourself.”
Students heard several stories in Spanish read by State Rep. Mike Sheehy (D., Oregon), Sylvania musician Miguel Saucedo, and Baldemar Velasquez, president of Farmer Labor Organizing Committee, who has spent decades organizing and advocating for farm workers in northwest Ohio.
“I was 12 years old before I got my first book,” Mr. Velasquez told the students, praising the program for getting books to the students. “This is very, very good.”
Three students from Toledo’s Scott High School also read, including foreign exchange student Alex Peralta, who is from Madrid, Spain, and is a senior this year.
“I really like to volunteer,” he said in Spanish before the event. “And it’s forcing me to find the words in Spanish again.”
By the end of the month, most of the students’ families will leave northwest Ohio with the end of the growing season, and the school will close for the year. This year, the preschoolers will be sent on their way with a book in hand.
“They don’t have a lot of things to take with them,” said Niki Holland, center manager at the facility. “For them to be able to get books to take with them, it’s a great thing. You can see how excited they are.”
After the read-aloud, the students excitedly crowded around to pick out additional books, eager to show the guests their new haul. Books 4 Buddies president Laneta Goings, who co-founded the organization with her grandson in 2012, said deliveries such as Thursday’s were exactly why the program exists.
“We know that reading is the pathway to life,” she said. “If you can’t read, you can’t do anything. ... This is what it’s all about, our future leaders.”
ABC 13 Bright Side - Books 4 Buddies At The Zoo
Program puts books in the hands of young readers.
Original article posted in The Toledo Blade - 8/25/2015
Grace Surato, left, 8, and her friend Jocelyn Shattuck, 8, both of Toledo, choose books they want for free at the Books 4 Buddies giveaway Monday at the Toledo Zoo. Since the program was launched in 2012, Books 4 Buddies has provided more than 30,000 books to promote reading for children through donations from the public and local sponsors.
Christmas in July? Not Quite, But There Was Plenty of Giving Taking Place on the City’s Eastside in July
Original article posted in The Sojourner's Truth - 08/13/15
Books 4 Buddies hosted an event at the LMHA Weiler Homes complex where residents were treated to books, burgers and bags of goodies.
With the inviting music of Michael Jackson in the background, about 100 people ignored the heat and attended the event which also included vision screenings, Kindergarten and Head Start registration, arts and crafts, and a raffle.
Books 4 Buddies, founded by Toure’ McCord II, is an organization that collects new and gently used books for disadvantaged youths. It then gives or distributes the books back into the community. The organization’s President Laneta Goings estimates the group has donated over 30,000 books.
That tally is sure to head north as youngsters of all ages were allowed to pick out and keep the books they selected. For many, these books will become the initial deposit in their personal libraries.
Dozens of volunteers, from Toledo Public Schools, Toledo Youth Commission, and the Lucas County Sheriff’s Office, were on hand to help the children make their selections and fill their totes with goodies like bookmarks, water bottles and plastic toys.
Also present, clad in their traditional orange T-shirts, were the Book Ambassadors. The 25 Ambassadors, a diverse group from area high schools, promote the mission of Books 4 Buddies and help improve literacy skills among boys. They also serve as role models and are already young community leaders.
This was on full display as the Ambassadors read to the children who were comfortably seated around them in the grass. Both readers and listeners refused to let the heat distract them as they interacted with one another. The Ambassadors participating in the reading included: Keshawn Corggens, Ivan Dye, Myles Johnson, Bryant Kobak, Zane Kruszynski, Scottie Seymour, Aaron Thompson, Jordan Topoleski, and Oran Williams.
Young Corggens was especially effective as the children fed off his energy level which seemed to match the heat index. But the Ambassadors never lose their focus, they’re aware that this is not about them. As Jordan Topoleski, a sophomore from Sylvania Southview, said “it’s about the kids.”
Other highlights included the picnic lunch, provided by TPS, the arts and crafts stations and the raffle giveaways handed out by Robert Mendenhall, TPS Director of Curriculum, and Captain T.O. Walker, of the Lucas County Sheriff’s Office.
No surprise that the face painting area proved to be a popular destination, with many of the faces resembling animals better suited for the near 90* weather.
The Weiler Homes event in July was followed by a similar one at Birmingham Terrace on August 7 as the Ambassadors, Sheriff’s Deputies, TPS representatives and Toledo Youth Commission repeated the formula for success that brought together so many volunteers and residents.
Books 4 Buddies has an upcoming event planned for the Northwest Ohio Rib Off (Aug. 13-16).
Sponsors of the organization include: The Blade, Apex Micrographics, Inc., Buckeye CableSystem, The Andersons, CedarCreek.tv, Fifth Third Bank, Franklin Park Mall, HART, LMHA, Lucas County Sheriff, John Tharp, Toledo Lucas County Public Library, Toledo Public Schools, and Toledo Youth Commission.
For more information on Books 4 Buddies visit www.books4buddies.com
Superheros help launch the 4th annual Books 4 Buddies season.
The 4th annual Books 4 Buddies launch was a tremendous success. It was a FREE fun-filled afternoon at Franklin Park Mall and Superheroes read to kids. The community was invited to support Books 4 Buddies by dropping of new and gently used books at the Blade truck.
**(14 out of 25) AMBASSADORS attended:
Toure McCord, Armond Arce, Dominic Barnes, Justin Barnes, Keshawn Corggens, Robert Derden, David Hart, Jason Johnson, Myles Johnson, Zane Kruszynski, C.J. Patton, Nathan Podolsky, Andrew Urrutia, Rudy Vasquez.
Kudos to community leaders who read to the kids:
- Ben Cathey, abc13 reporter was the MC and a Superhero (dressed as a weatherman)
- The Honorable Michael P. Sheehy, Ohio House of Representatives, District 46 and his wife.
- Christopher Smith, former Blade employee, representing TLPL’s Summer Reading Challenge, dressed as: CAPTAIN I WILL READ.
- Evan Fritt, native Toledoan, a member of National Society of High School (St. Francis) Scholars, and a body-builder; who has starred on the Florida based realty show, “Kart Life on Tru TV. He has a soon-to-be-released comic book series, “The Adventure of EJ rocket” based on his fictional alter ego, an anti-bully superhero who inspires kids to eat healthy and live their dreams without fear.
- Dennis Scott, retired NBA player/all-time men’s career points record holder as a former basketball player for OSU. He is currently a high school coach.
- Dr. Romulus Durant, TPS superintendent dressed as ‘Cat In The Hat.’
- Nigel Hayes, U of Wisc. Basketball player. Nigel, who averaged 12.4 points per game, played an integral role with the U of Wisc. Basketball team as it captured the Bit Ten Title and advanced to the NCAA National Championship game against Duke in Indy. Along the way, Nigel gained national attention for this vocabulary prowess during the NCAA media sessions. He is a Whitmer graduate.
- The Honorable Paula Hicks-Hudson, Mayor, City of Toledo
- Jean Holden and singers
Nancy Pelosi congratulates Books 4 Buddies Ambassadors.
Men, Women in uniform take literacy to Toledo streets.
Lucas County Sheriff’s deputies team with U.S.S. Ohio Navy sailors for book giveaway
Major John Tharp will lead a few good men and women in what he calls a “pilot program” at 2 p.m. this Saturday, August 25 at 2100 Consaul St., where law enforcement will join an ongoing literacy campaign.
Targeting children in the Lucas County Metropolitan Housing Authority (LMHA), Maj. Tharp and about 30 Lucas County Sheriff’s deputies will begin distributing books that have been donated to the Books 4 Buddies (B4B) program among Birmingham Terrace apartment residents. B4B promotes reading for pre-kindergarten through high school-age youth. While its primary goal is encouraging boys to read for pleasure, Maj. Tharp, a B4B board member, says that the deputy-patrol distribution will include entire LMHA households.
“The more that we can work with young folks, and work with their guardians to make sure that they can read well, the more opportunities they’ll find to have jobs and compete,” says Maj. Tharp.
Navy sailors from the U.S.S. Ohio will join Maj. Tharp and the deputies for the Birmingham Terrace kick-off, which will later extend to all LMHA properties, he added. The sailors will appear, in support of B4B as part of Toledo Navy Week.
Since launching in June, B4B has collected more than 5,000 books through donations from the public and with support from the Toledo-Lucas County Public Library, Cedar Creek Church, The Blade, WTVG 13 and Buckeye Cable, among other partners.
Maj. Tharp says that working to “front load” youth with success tools will reduce the need for poverty programs that support families who are disadvantaged. Books also encourage youth interaction with parents and guardians, adds Maj. Tharp: “We can talk about professional athletes and so forth, but these (family figures) are the biggest influences in their lives.”
For additional information or to request interviews, media may contact Books 4 Buddies at 1.866.944.1119.