4GOOD Book Drive- June 6 @ Sweet Harts

The 4GOOD Book Drive

After weeks of planning and getting the word out there 4GOOD had a very successful Book Drive.  Thank you to all the people who showed up on a Sunday to donate books!  

• THE GRAND TOTAL OF BOOKS DONATED WAS 1,503.  AMAZING!!! 

• All the books were donated to BookEnds, a wonderful organization who graciously came to pick up the many boxes on a Sunday when that is not something they normally do.  Thank you Breanne!!!  

• The Older Teen and Adult books that were donated will be going to the Los Angeles Recreation and Parks Summer Night Lights Program- which provides at-risk youths with organized activities aimed at keeping them out of trouble during the summer.  Reading is certainly a great activity!!!  

• The Younger books that were donated will be going to WIC (women, infant & children).  This is a government program that provides assitant to low income families.

A Special "Thank you" to everyone who showed up to volunteer to help us sort & organize the books- we couldn't have done it without you!

When 4GOOD member Michael Swords brought an article from Parenting Magazine to our attention, we felt inspired to do something to help raise awareness of the startling literacy gap between low & middle income American Families...so the idea of a one day book drive was born.


Read the article that inspired this event.
 www.parenting.com/article/Child/Daycare--Education/The-Early-Literacy-Crisis/2

 

Sweet Harts in Sherman Oaks partnered with us, giving us a home to hold the event.  A big Thanks to Aidan and the rest of the gang at Sweet Harts who came in early on a Sunday!  Anyone who came and donated books was given 10% off their purchase of Frozen Yogurt or Gelato.  Sweet Harts also gave back 20% of the sale proceeds for the day back to 4GOOD.  What a Sweet Deal!  Thanks again!
 

Why is it so important to get involved in bridging the literacy gap?
Here are some startling statistics that inspired us to get involved.  It's yet another way to get your children engaged in giving back, especially if explained to them on their level. 

* 37% of American Children live in low-income families and 61% of those families have NO age appropriate books in their homes.  Some kids go to pre-school and have never held a book.  Can you imagine your 3 year old never being read too or exposed to even looking at a book? 

* These kids can't even count on school to get exposed to reading and books...80% of preschools and after-school programs serving low-income populations have no age-appropriate books for their children.

* On average a child from a middle class community has 13 books & a child from a low-income community shares one book with 300 other kids.

* Access to books and educational material is the single biggest barrier to literacy development in the United States and beyond. If we can solve the problem of access, we will be well on the road to realizing educational parity – a goal which has eluded this country for generations.”- 
Susan B. Neuman, Ph.D. University of Michigan, Ctr. for Improvement of Early Reading Achievement










We donated the books to a wonderful organization called BOOKENDS...here is why we chose them:

* BookEnds, a non-profit organization, that began in 1993 with 
8-year-old Brandon Keefe, a kid who wanted to make a difference.

* BookEnds strives to instill the value of community service in its student volunteers. More than 206,000 youth have been involved in organizing book drives, collecting, sorting and delivering more than 1.9 million books into the hands of 478,000 children in the greatest need of books.

* BookEnds has completed more than 578 libraries. (More than 478,000 students are benefiting from the book donations.)

* BookEnds' recipients are those schools that are the most in need and have demonstrated a commitment to actively use the book donations to improve children's literacy.

       Check them out at www,bookends.org

Some pictures from the day- Thank you to all who came and volunteered!!!

Pictures of the kids helping to make the signs for the Book Drive the week before the event!  Great job kids!!!

What's Happening with 4GOOD- May 2010 Newsletter

Email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser. NEWS & EVENTS ~ Book Drive ~  Sunday, June 6 from 10am - 3pm In partnership with Sweet Harts Sweet Shop ~ (corner of Woodman Ave & Ventura Blvd ~ Sherman Oaks) Click here for Map of location...If parking lot is full, there is 2 hour parking in the surrounding neighborhood) View the Invitation to read about the statistics, fill out the form to RSVP & sign up to volunteer if you can Help 4GOOD raise awareness of the startling literacy gap between low & middle income American families. Donate your gently used books (children's - adult books) & do something 4GOOD to get books into the hands of underprivileged families who don't have access to appropriate reading material.  The books you donate will be distributed through the organization BookEnds. When you donate a book, Sweet Harts will take 10% off your purchase.   In addition, Sweet Harts will donate 20% of the sales proceeds for the day to 4GOOD.  That's a sweet deal! We hope to collect hundreds of books during the 5 hour drive...that's a lot of books. So, join us at Sweet Harts, donate books, have some sweet tasting treats, get a discount and help raise money 4GOOD! What better way to spend a Sunday? PLEASE FORWARD THIS INVITE TO FRIENDS & FAMILY AND SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT THIS GREAT EVENT!!! FOR MORE INFORMATION ON BOOKENDS & WHY WE CHOOSE TO DONATE TO THIS AMAZING ORGANIZATION. Read the article that inspired this event. www.parenting.com/article/Child/Daycare--Education/The-Early-Literacy-Crisis/2 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ THE NEXT "FEATURED" 4GOOD SPONSORED EVENT We couldn't be more excited about our next sponsored event!!   WHAT: 4GOOD will host a Charitable Concert and Instrument Drive in partnership with Educate Through Music, Los Angeles & Join the Band.  Join us for a fantastic concert to help bring music back to children from an under-served school in Los Angeles. JTB will bring some rockin ' kid bands to perform & if we meet our goal, 4GOOD will be able to sponsor a school for an entire year...more details to come in the coming months. WHEN: Sometime in September (date TBD- daytime weekend is what we are shooting for) WHY: Our goal is to raise $5000 through donations & ticket sales.  Can you believe that is all it costs for ETM-LA to provide a music instructor, instruments, curriculum & a sustainability plan to help the school continue to KEEP the music program going. If your interested - here are some immediate things we need help with: Do you have a connection?  We need a venue!  We are looking for a supper club type vibe, with a small stage and capacity for about 250 people.  The venue also needs to serve food and drinks. Know of a celebrity singer or band? We need one!  Ask if they would be interested in donating their time and talents sometime in September to help us bring music back to a LA school?  We would love to add a "special guest" to the concert.  Got some gently used instruments?  ETM-LA always needs instruments for the kids...we will be having an instrument drive leading up to and at the event.  More info to come on this...just don't give any used instruments away before September!!! If you have any suggestions, questions or connections for any of the above- please email: erika@4goodcommunity.org     Check out the websites of our partners above! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Upcoming "Featured" 4GOOD Participating Event: What: Friends & Helpers Back to School Event Where: Tarzana Community and Cultural Center 19130 Ventura Blvd ~ Tarzana, California. 91436 (Corner of Ventura and Vanalden) When: Friday - Aug 20, 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM Why: Volunteer with your kids to pack needed school supplies in backpacks so the children of abused families can have what they need to go Back to School. This is the 2nd year 4GOOD is participating in this wonderful event. See the Blog entry and pictures from Last Years Event. http://4goodcommunity.blogspot.com/2009/08/back-to-school-friends-helpers-event.html ~ We LOVE this organization and you will too!  Find out more on their site: friendsandhelpers.com F & H creates a wonderful kid friendly environment - one which you will not want to miss. Check out the list of items needed for the backpacks below.  Start collecting any of the listed items ASAP!!! Updates on how 4GOOD will coordinate collecting the supplies will be coming soon.  Items needed for the Backpacks. ALSO... Check out the  Calendar of Events for great opportunities to volunteer with your kids. Click here Do you have a cause you would like 4GOOD to support?  Please email us and let us know - we are always looking for family friendly events or ideas to create a 4GOOD sponsored event.  So let us know!! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Important ways 4GOOD can use your help: Talk us up-  please tell all your friends and family about 4GOOD!  Ask them to come to an event with you.  Sign them up to become a 4GOOD member (click here for membership page).   Web Site & Other Technical Help-  know about website design and management? we could really use your help Accountant- donate your skill & time to help with our accounting ~ we would be ever so grateful Corporate Funding & Donations- do you have connections with small businesses or larger corporations who would be interested in donating product for future events, advertising on our website or blog, or sponsorship/partnership to help us fund our efforts…keep us in mind when you see future newsletters or news about 4GOOD PR & Marketing- we need help creating press kits, getting our name and message out there with local newspapers and magazines, connections with editors or newsgroups, or any other marketing ideas MESSAGES & INFO A Message to all... from co-founder/executive director Erika Athanas I want to personally thank all of the 4GOOD members who believe in what we are doing and continue to support our mission.  This is our first "official" newsletter where you can learn more about what GOOD things we are doing now and in the future.  Please continue to let me know if you have any suggestions for a 4GOOD volunteering opportunity  or any subjects you would like to see covered in future newsletters. Want to help spread the word about the things we are doing at 4GOOD? Please Forward this email We hope to see you soon at an upcoming 4GOOD event. volunteer with your kids...join the movement!!! All my best, Erika erika@4goodcommunity.org 4GOOD 's mission is to help families actively participate in volunteer activities to foster the values of kindness, compassion, tolerance, community responsibility and good citizenship.  You are receiving this email if you previously signed up to become a member of or are currently following 4GOOD on Twitter, Facebook, Linked-In, or Idealist. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~SPECIAL THANKS~ Sweet Harts- Thank you for donating the space and partnering with us for the book drive on June 6th. Jinhee & Danny Kim- Thank you for your generous donation!  We are grateful for your belief in 4GOOD! Mike Swords- 4GOOD member for bringing the literacy statistics to our attention and helping us find a way to help. A.J. & Rachel Nassiri- Thank you for choosing 4GOOD as your Tikun Olam project for your Bar/Bat Mitzvah.  A.J. & Rachel have committed to volunteer with 4GOOD and have asked each person attending their party to donate money to 4GOOD. Now that's amazing!!  Thank you Terri Fox-Baumel for helping your kids do something 4GOOD.  4GOOD Members- To all the wonderful people who showed up at the Santa Monica Beach Clean-up with Heal the Bay on April 17th.  Thank you for your support!  What a fun day.  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ NEW PARTNER: ~Looking for ways to save a few dollars? ~Are you a business looking for a unique cost effective way to advertisee? The BLVD Card allows customers to redeem discount offers with a single card, text or e-mail instead of a printed coupon, linking local consumers looking for discounts & offers with neighborhood businesses who are offering them. Check out the website~ www.theblvdcard.com Have a business? Learn more about how theBLVDcard can help. Contact: Steve Brown CEO/Co-Founder Direct: 818-205-5404 E-mail: steve@theblvdcard.com (Don't forget to mention you heard about them through 4GOOD!) You will find great deals and discounts with companies like: 16060 Ventura Blvd, Encino 19960 Ventura Blvd, Woodland Hills Woodland Hills ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Connect with us: If your not already a member of 4GOOD... ~ click here to receive updates on all the 4GOOD happenings.~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   product you can wear to our next event!!  Click here to go to our Zazzle Store 20% of your purchase will go to help fund our administrative costs & an additional 15% will be matched by Zazzle if you purchase through this link. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ *|LIST:DESCRIPTION|* Unsubscribe *|EMAIL|* from this list. Copyright (C) *|CURRENT_YEAR|* *|LIST:COMPANY|* All rights reserved. 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Volunteer Opportunity Saturday - May 15th

What: The Evelyn Gratts Elementary School Native Plant Garden Needs Our Help!

Where: Evelyn Thurman Gratts Elementary School, 309 Lucas Avenue, Los Angeles, 90017.

When: May 15, 8:00 AM - 3:00

Description: The Gratts Elementary School native plant garden is a neglected jewel surrounded by the asphalt and cement of downtown L.A. Last autumn, Gratts students, parents and teachers planted nearly 100 native plants in their new garden. The plants prospered with all the winter rain, but so did the weeds... So come help Gratts students and parents restore the native plant hillside garden through weeding and the spreading of 27 cubic yards of mulch.
Please email Lisa, at lisa@theodorepayne.org if you would like to join in this effort for the children of Gratts and the wider community.
The school is located between 3rd and6th Streets, east of Alvarado. There will be ample parking on the school playground, with the playground gate on 4th street open for parking your car when you arrive.
Please bring a wheelbarrow, a big shovel and weeding tools if you have them. Also, be sure to bring a hat,water, and wear sturdy shoes. There will be food provided, but if you have any special dietary needs you might want to bring your own.

4GOOD participated in cleaning the Santa Monica beach as a part of Heal the Bay- today 4/17

It was a glorious day, warmer than we expected.  Swarms of people filled the beach right below the Santa Monica Pier.  All of them there to volunteer to clean up the beach.  There must have been 300 - 400 people in total.  We found as many 4GOOD members as we could and headed to the instruction portion of the day...the Heal the Bay volunteer explained to us how the trash ended up on the beach...not what you think- most of it comes from the storm drains getting filled with trash and without any filters all the trash ends up in the ocean which washes up on the beach.  So if you see any trash on the street, pick it up, no matter how small.  Even rubber-bands from a Newspaper can be harmful. 

After we were handed gloves and trash bags...off we went with all the kids in tow...walking and searching for some trash- anything other than dried bird poop.  Unfortunately, since so many others preceded us, there wasn't much trash to pick up.  But with the kids running around searching for any scrap of trash and the adults watching them and basking in the beautiful sun, we had a great time.  

When we headed back to drop off the trash bags - the kids felt they had accomplished something good.  "We helped the environment today" Russel said.  "We found a lot of trash today" Alexandra said.  

It was a great way to kick off National Volunteer Week and Earth Day.  

Thank you to all the 4GOOD members who showed up (whether we found you or not) and thanks to those who were there in Spirit!  It was a wonderful day!

See next time!

View:
Pictures of the Event

Suggested Volunteer Event- Education Through Music-Los Angeles Volunteer to help with running the booth at the Downtown Burbank Arts Festival

Education Through Music- Los Angeles is an organization that I just learned about.  4GOOD is working on a future event with ETM and after learning about all the great things they are doing, I wanted to share with all the 4GOOD members. 

Education Through Music is an amazing organization whose mission is to promote and support music instruction in disadvantaged schools in order to enhance student’s academic performance and creative and general development. They currently serve nine Los Angeles County schools reaching over 2,000 school children. Amazing Work!!!

 

They have an upcoming event on April 24th & 25th...they could use some volunteers but if you can't volunteer...bring your kids to the booth- it's going  to be a great time had by all!

 

Details for the event: 

 

What: Education Through Music Los Angeles - Volunteer to help with running the booth at the Downtown Burbank Arts Festival

Where: Downtown Burbank: San Fernando Blvd, between Olive and Angeleno* Aves. (just east of the 5 freeway)

When: Apr 24, 10:00 AM - 7:00 PM & Apr 25, 10:00AM - 5:00PM

Description:
Join us at the Education Through Music-Los Angeles Booth featuring a Musical Petting Zoo & Musical Crafts Table @ Downtown Burbank Arts Festival!
Try out various instruments from the violin to the recorder, learn how to make your very own homemade tambourine&shakers and other activities for children.
 
If you'd like to volunteer, we'd love to have you! We will show you the basic skills on the instruments and could also use your help at the crafts tables.
Contact Aliza at akennerly@etmla.org or 818-433-7600

Check out Education Through Music's website- http://etmla.org/
http://etmla.org/news_and_events/events/burbank_arts_festival