We're in the Money!

Thank you everyone for helping us meet our fundraising goal in 2010! We had our most successful direct mail campaign ever - which raised over $5K in three weeks.

And it's only just begun.

We will be awarding book grants to our recipient groups by the end of March.

Stay tuned for details on our next event in the spring.

Direct Mail Letter Going Out Soon

Gentle Reader,
The First Book - San Francisco board members are in the process of mailing and e-mailing a fundraising letter providing basic information about our early literacy services as well as contact information for those who are in a position to provide financial support. A copy of this letter is posted below (click on it to view it full size). Thank you for your interest in, and support of, increased literacy services for our community.
Best regards, Brian

(Click on image above to view full size.)

Active Board Members, November 22, 2010

Active Board Members as of November 22, 2010

Michael Andolina
- Education Director, Jamestown Community Center San Francisco

 Irene Blum
- Retired Reading Teacher and Elementary Education Specialist
- Volunteer, Children’s Book Project

Brian Castagne
- Families for Literacy Coordinator/Computer Lab Coordinator
Project Read of the San Francisco Public Library

Jude Deckenbach
- National Liaison, First Book San Francisco
- Former Executive Director, The Reading Tree

Andrea "Ande" Elzie
- Retired Child Development Instructor, City College of San Francisco
- Volunteer, Child Development Center and Family Studies Department
City College of San Francisco

Carla Hatley
- Coordinator, San Francisco BookPALS Program

Performing Artists for Literacy in Schools, Screen Actors Guild Foundation

Kathy Katz
- Programs Manager, The Children's Book Project

Elmer Owens, PhD
- Retired Speech Pathologist, UC San Francisco
- Volunteer, Up on Top After School Tutoring Program
 

Luanne Schulte
- Speech Pathologist
- Volunteer, Up on Top After School Tutoring Program

Board Members as of July 1, 2010

Active Board Members as of July 1, 2010

Michael Andolina
- Academic Director, Jamestown Community Center San Francisco

 Irene Blum
- Retired Reading Teacher and Elementary Education Specialist
- Volunteer, Children’s Book Project

Brian Castagne
- Families for Literacy Coordinator/Computer Lab Coordinator
Project Read of the San Francisco Public Library

Jude Deckenbach
- National Liaison, First Book San Francisco
- Executive Director, The Reading Tree

Andrea "Ande" Elzie
- Retired Child Development Instructor, City College of San Francisco
- Volunteer, Child Development Center and Family Studies Department
City College of San Francisco

Carla Hatley
- Coordinator, San Francisco BookPALS Program

Performing Artists for Literacy in Schools, Screen Actors Guild Foundation

Kathy Katz
- Programs Manager, The Children's Book Project

Elmer Owens
- Retired Speech Pathologist, UC San Francisco
- Volunteer, Up on Top After School Tutoring Program
 

Luanne Schulte
- Speech Pathologist
- Volunteer, Up on Top After School Tutoring Program

First Book SF Event at Sunrise Restaurant on May 13, 2010

(Click on the image above if you wish to view a larger size)

Please, join us for delicious Latin American food and fun. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to First Book –San Francisco.

When: Thursday, May 13, 5-7:30pm

Where: Sunrise Restaurant, 3126 24th Street (between Folsom and Shotwell) (415) 206-1219

First Book – San Francisco is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status coalition of early literacy advocates bringing books and other learning materials into the hands, homes, and hearts of some of San Francisco’s most underserved families. Research clearly shows that access to books is essential to reading development and success in school. The portion of this event’s proceeds donated to us will allow us to purchase new books and continue reaching out to the alarming number of Bay Area children who have no books in their homes.

We thank you for supporting our ongoing mission to share the joy and power that reading brings. As Guadalupe Elementary School student Marina M. said as she embraced a new batch of books from us:

"I love books! Anything can happen if you read!”

First Book - San Francisco,
c/o The Reading Tree, 368 Connecticut Street, San Francisco, CA 94107
www.firstbooksf.blogspot.com

Read Tree Event Was Fabulous

Here are 5 photos I nabbed at the festive Reading Tree event at the Laurel Village Books Inc. Enjoy.

Reading Tree Event on Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Gentle Reader,
Please click on the image above to see a large (and printable) JPG image of the poster for the super delicious event in support of The Reading Tree at the Laurel Village Books Inc. on Wednesday, December 2 from 6-8pm. Click here to go to The Reading Tree website.

Children's Book Project Party Tonight June 4, 2009

(Click image above for more information)

Hey Folks,
It is Children's Book Project Party Season. There is a great event tonight in collaboration with Mission Street Food, Broken Record, and St. Mary's Center. Follow this link for all the details http://blog.missionstreetfood.com.
Have a great time. Brian

Children's Book Project Party June 6, 2009

Dear Friend,

I am throwing a party for all my friends and my favorite San Francisco non-profit, the Children's Book Project.

Our big celebration of the Children's Book Project (CBP) will be on Saturday, June 6th, 7:30pm to 1:00am, at a large soundstage at 3075 17th Street, between Folsom and Harrison. Please have a look at the attached flyer.

This is a party you won't soon forget, with lots of music, dancing, and entertainment.

The Children's Book Project was founded to meet the enormous need for children's books. Since its beginning in 1992, the project has given well over 1,000,000 free books to hundreds of Bay Area facilities serving many thousands of children. The CBP goal for 2009 is to distribute well over 150,000 carefully selected children's books. Please visit www.childrensbookproject.org.

Thanks,
Andy Pollack

PS If you are unable to attend the benefit, please consider making a tax-deductible donation. Checks can be mailed to Children's Book Project, 45 Holly Park Circle, San Francisco, CA, 94110. You can also give online by going to the CBP website and pressing the donate button. At a time when schools have even less funding for classroom libraries and parents have even less money to pay for books, your contribution is particularly needed.

Wine Mondays (The Reading Tree)

Everybody needs a good whine on Monday and so The Reading Tree invited our friends to join with us at Books, Inc. on Monday, December 8th to celebrate the publication of our Board Member Christie Matheson's Wine Mondays.


We had a very successful event, sold over $300 worth of raffle tickets and $7,000 worth of books! Christie sold out of her book. Lots of friends did all their holiday shopping and requested that we make it an annual event so stay tuned for details.
keep reading,
Jude Deckenbach

Board Members as of February 24, 2008

Active Board Members as of February 24, 2009
(11 members, alphabetical by first name)

Alayne Stieglitz
- Site Supervisor, Holy Family Day Home

Andrea "Ande" Elzie
- Retired Child Development Instructor, City College of San Francisco
- Volunteer, Child Development Center and Family Studies Department
City College of San Francisco

Brian Castagne
- Families for Literacy Coordinator/Computer Lab Coordinator
Project Read of the San Francisco Public Library

Carla Hatley
- Program Coordinator, Screen Actors Guild Foundation BookPals

Christina Burgess
- San Francisco Early Literacy Manager Jumpstart

Elmer Owens
- Retired Speech Pathologist, University of California, San Francisco
- Volunteer, Up on Top After School Tutoring Program

Irene Blum
- Retired Reading Teacher and Elementary Education Specialist
- Volunteer, Children’s Book Project

Jude Deckenbach
- National Liaison, First Book San Francisco
- Executive Director, The Reading Tree

Luanne Schulte
- Speech Pathologist
- Volunteer, Up on Top After School Tutoring Program

Lynne Maes
- Program Coordinator, San Francisco Raising a Reader

Kathy Katz
- Programs Manager, The Children's Book Project

First Book SF at Fair Oaks Street Fair May 10

As summer approaches, perhaps you are remembering fondly summer days when you had plenty of free time for all your summer activities, including reading your favorite books. Perhaps you grew up in a home filled with books, where owning and reading books was a part of your family culture. However, that is not the norm in many homes across the Bay Area.

First Book San Francisco is committed to change that, by providing books to low income children that otherwise would not have access to such treasures. First Book San Francisco is hosting a book drive in May to obtain gently used children’s books and funding to purchase new children’s books at cost. It is particularly easy for Noe Valley residents to be involved. Collection bags for gently used children’s books are located at Noe Valley Pediatrics, Noe Valley Ministry, Starbucks, and Wells Fargo Bank. At Wells Fargo Bank, monetary donations will be accepted as well. Because First Book is a nonprofit, all donations are tax deductible.

Are you planning on attending the 33rd Annual Fair Oaks Street Fair on Saturday, May 10? (All good shoppers and bargain hunters mark it on their calendars every year!) If so, you can drop off books, cash and checks at the First Book booth in front of 217 Fair Oaks the day of the sale.

May you have leisurely summer days ahead to read or reread a favorite book!

Sincerely, Luanne Shulte

Active Board Members as of February 4, 2008

Active Board Members as of February 4, 2008
(13 members, alphabetical by first name)

Andrea "Ande" Elzie
- Retired Child Development Instructor, City College of San Francisco
- Volunteer, Child Development Center and Family Studies Department
City College of San Francisco

Andrea Robb
- Site Supervisor, Holy Family Day Home

Betsy Keever
- Director, San Francisco Raising a Reader

Brian Castagne
- Families for Literacy Coordinator/Computer Lab Coordinator
Project Read of the San Francisco Public Library

Carla Hatley
- Program Coordinator, Screen Actors Guild Foundation BookPals

Elmer Owens
- Retired Speech Pathologist, University of California, San Francisco
- Volunteer, Up on Top After School Tutoring Program

Irene Blum
- Retired Reading Teacher and Elementary Education Specialist
- Volunteer, Children’s Book Project

Jo Keroes
- Professor of English (emirata), San Francisco State University

Jude Deckenbach
- National Liaison, First Book San Francisco
- Executive Director, The Reading Tree

Luanne Schulte
- Speech Pathologist
- Volunteer, Up on Top After School Tutoring Program

Lynne Maes
- Program Coordinator, San Francisco Raising a Reader

Kathy Katz
- Programs Manager, The Children's Book Project

Michael Andolina
- San Francisco Early Literacy Coordinator, Jumpstart Western Region

Active Board Members as of January 16, 2007

Active Board Members as of January 16, 2006

Irene Blum
- Retired Reading Teacher and Elementary Education Specialist
- Volunteer, Children’s Book Project

Brian Castagne
- Families for Literacy Coordinator/Computer Lab Coordinator
Project Read of the San Francisco Public Library

Jude Deckenbach
- National Liaison, First Book San Francisco
- Executive Director, The Reading Tree

Andrea "Ande" Elzie
- Retired Child Development Instructor, City College of San Francisco
- Volunteer, Child Development Center and Family Studies Department
City College of San Francisco

Kathy Katz
- Programs Manager, The Children's Book Project

Rakita O'Neal
- Early Literacy Initiative Coordinator, Jumpstart San Francisco

Elmer Owens
- Retired Speech Pathologist, UC San Francisco
- Volunteer, Up on Top After School Tutoring Program

Andrea Robb
- Site Supervisor, Holy Family Day Home

Luanne Schulte
- Speech Pathologist
- Volunteer, Up on Top After School Tutoring Program

Lygia Stebbing
- Site Director, Jumpstart San Francisco

Children's Book Project Event on Sunday November 5, 2006

One Million Books, One Million Ways
to Change the Story of a Child's Life

Celebrate with Us on Sunday November 5, 2006

as the Children's Book Project Gives Away Its

1,00,000th Book

290A Napoleon Street in San Francisco

1:00 - 4:00p.m.

Here are some ways to keep the stories coming:

- Bring a new or gently used book to our celebration

- Volunteer at the Children's Book Project

- Organize a book drive

- Support the Children's Book Project by signing on at www.escrip.com (it is easy to do and free of cost to you)

- Make a cash donation or contribute through our website
www.childrensbookproject.org.

Active Board Members as of October 11, 2006

Active Board Members as of October 11, 2006

Irene Blum
- Retired Reading Teacher and Elementary Education Specialist
- Volunteer, Children’s Book Project

Brian Castagne
- Families for Literacy Coordinator/Computer Lab Coordinator,
Project Read of the San Francisco Public Library

Jude Deckenbach
- National Liaison, First Book San Francisco
- Executive Director, The Reading Tree

Andrea Elzie
- Retired Child Development Instructor, City College of San Francisco

Kathy Katz
- Programs Manager, The Children's Book Project

Elmer Owens
- Volunteer, Up on Top After School Tutoring Program

Andrea Robb
- Site Supervisor, Holy Family Day Home

Luanne Schulte
- Volunteer, Up on Top After School Tutoring Program

Reading Tree Event on Friday the 13th

Iaconi Books and the Reading Tree Present

An Evening with Yuyi Morales

7-9pm, Friday the 13th, October 2006

970 Tennessee Street at 20th

(415) 821-1216

Millionth Book Give-away on Sunday Nov. 5, 2006

Please join us to celebrate as the Children's Book Project gives away its 1,000,000th book!

http://www.childrensbookproject.org

Reading Tree Swinging Party on Thursday May 4

Hey Funseekers,

The Reading Tree is hosting a swinging party at Dolce on Thursday May 4. I sure hope you can join us.

You can buy tickets to our VIP pre-party for $25 through this link:

http://www.acteva.com/booking.cfm?bevaid=108348

$10 General Admission:
http://www.acteva.com//booking.cfm?bevaID=108617

Are you busy that night but would like to show your support

http://www.thereadingtree.net/trtdonate.html

The Reading Tree
Our goal is to help build children's personal libraries, encourage parents to share books with their children, and provide ideas for making reading a part of their daily routine. Serving a primarily Spanish speaking population, The Reading Tree distributes over 30,000 books annually to the children of San Francisco each year.

Check us out at http://www.thereadingtree.net

Jude Deckenbach
Executive Director
The Reading Tree
415-285-2128

Board Members as of April 3, 2006

Active Board Members as of April 3, 2006

Jude Deckenbach

- First Book San Francisco – National Liaison

- Executive Director of The Reading Tree

Irene Blum
- Retired Reading Teacher and Elementary Education Specialist
- Volunteer, Children’s Book Project

Brian Castagne
- Families for Literacy Coordinator/Computer Lab Coordinator, Project Read of the San Francisco Public Library

Andrea Elzie
- Retired Child Development Instructor, City College of San Francisco

Kathy Katz
- Programs Manager, The Children's Book Project

Elmer Owens
- Tutor, Up on Top After School Tutoring Program