PoWeR! Book Bags
Fall 2019 Newsletter
Empowering Children to Play, Write, and Read TODAY for a better TOMORROW!
This summer, we were very busy as an organization playing, writing and reading!

In all, we attended and hosted 7 events in three different Northern Michigan Counties and gave away over 1,200 book bags and 10,000 books for summer reading!

Thank you to everyone that helped sort, pack, prep, and distribute these literacy gifts to children.
Our Original Pantry and Sites of Assistance Project continues to work its magic!

Children and families are enjoying selecting books and home-made literacy bags at each visit to their local pantry or assistance site.

The hand-crafted bags remain the heart of the program. Please consider sewing a few today! (We even have kits we could send you).

"PoWer Book Bags has been a wonderful addition at our Food Pantry and Baby Pantry. Our visiting Neighbors really enjoy the books, writing pads and utensils they receive in cute fabric bags."
Mary Stanton, Executive Director of Leelanau Christian Neighbors  








JOIN in the fun!!

Come help sort and pack books at the Goodwill Industries Warehouse in TC.

Come to our site in Suttons Bay.

It is open Mondays & the first Saturday of the month
10am-1pm and by appointment.

We also invite volunteer groups to schedule a work bee with us today!

We also host work bees at the Lakeshore Resource Network in Ludington once a month.

See the website or facebook for more.


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Everything we do is based on research.

Kids CHOOSE their own books to KEEP.
Kids write their names in the books (entering the 'club of literacy').

We provide books AND writing materials AND a puppet to encourage PLAYING, and WRITING, and READING.

The more that children engage in language and literacy, the stronger their abilities to manage life in their future.

Kids with strong language and literacy skills are likely to graduate, make friends, hold a job, maintain relationships, and contribute to society in a positive manner.

Kids without these skills are much less likely to succeed.

Help us improve the outcome for everyone through literacy!
'Tis the season to begin getting ready for our school vacation book give-aways! These will begin in later fall.

We are so fortunate this year to be partnering with the Kiwanis Club to bring books and literacy bags to kids at Traverse Heights and Blair Elementary.

We are also planning to be at 13 additional schools throughout the nine counties that we serve. If you are interested in helping us prepare for these, assisting with distribution days, or sponsoring a school, please let us know!

This program focuses on schools where more than 50 percent of the population is receiving free/reduced lunches.

Research shows that when children are invited to select their own books, they are more likely to read them AND if they are in their home, they are more likely to read them again and again...!


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It is hard to believe that in the past three and a half years we have now given away a grand total of over 80,000 books!

We are now serving children and families in nine counties, at 15 schools, and in 19 pantries and sites of assistance. (We recently added the Scottville Senior Center).

We are thrilled to share with you that we have won some wonderful grant funding for this upcoming year!

Thank you to the Kiwanis Club of Traverse City
and to the Rotary Club of Traverse Bay Twilight for the generous grants to help support literacy efforts in the Grand Traverse area.

Thank you also to Meijer of Ludington and Acme. Both stores offered us amazing assistance and allowed us to purchase our entire crayon supply for the year at the back to school sale price!
Donate today and we will send you this sticker for your computer, phone or car!
2313430255  powerbookbags.org