STORY NO.

69

FirstBook -- Charlotte

by Tom Mathews

Our plan

About 18 months ago, Tom Mathews became aware of an organization called FirstBook. The mission of this organization is to provide books to children who don't have any. Mathews joined the local board of directors for the program, and decided to "adopt" a local public school, something each of the local board and advisory committee members are expected to do. As a partner of the local public school, Mathew's role was fairly simple. He would make sure that his school had a direct line of communication to ask him questions, that they knew how to apply for book grants, and that the program was going well. In addition, Mathews would be present at all of the book distribution events, so that as a group, both sponsor and school could celebrate the joy of books!

What we did

Mathews' adopted school was Nations Ford Elementary in Charlotte. Mathews and the rest of the FirstBook team organized a bunch of book distributions (some to hundreds of students at a time), giving students and classrooms the chance to read and learn from books. Besides the distribution program, Mathews has also gotten involved in a hands-on way at Nations Ford, helping students that are reading below grade level by participating in a special reading program whenever he visits the school.

Our results

To date, Mathews and FirstBook have donated thousands of books to students and classrooms at Nations Ford Elementary and many other schools in the Charlotte region. The students love the books and the additional attention and help that Mathews' in-school visits provide.

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Community Collaborative for Youth
Chico, CA