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Books for Neighbors

Reach Out and Read PROJECT
Books for Neighbors by Reach Out and Read

credits

Title
  • Books for Neighbors
Entrant
  • Reach Out and Read

About This Project

Summary

When ICE stormed the Twin Cities, families sheltered at home — missing both normal life and checkups where Reach Out and Read uses an evidence-based literacy model to help parents build the safe, nurturing bonds children need to thrive. Our Minnesota Affiliate mobilized medical champions and mutual aid to bring 10K multilingual books and guidance into the community to meet families in crisis. National committed $25K to deliver extra care and support, creating connection and routine amidst chaos.

Goals & Objectives

Preserve developmental touchpoints outside clinics Give books and guidance in families’ native languages Offset Adverse Childhood Experiences, which lead to toxic stress, by promoting the positive experience of reading aloud together Build bridges with local clinicians and mutual aid organizations

Results & Impact

10K bilingual books + evidence-based resources for thousands of local families (1K from All About Books + Scholastic) $25K from Reach Out and Read National $57K from Affiliate event + online giving 26K Meta views 95 media placements — $182K ad value 8.6M audience Multi-organization response network

the team

Liam Mackin
  • Communications and Development Manager
  • Reach Out and Read Minnesota
Kris Hoplin
  • Executive Director
  • Reach Out and Read Minnesota
Dennis Spielman
  • Videographer and Editor
  • The Show Starts Now Studios
Lori Brooks
  • Chief External Affairs Officer
  • Reach Out and Read
Angela Cunningham
  • Senior Director Books Strategy
  • Reach Out and Read
Niels Torres
  • Communications Manager and Application Creator
  • Reach Out and Read
Dr. Krishnan Subrahmanian
  • MD, MPhil, DTM
  • Hennepin Healthcare and the Redleaf Center for Family Healing
Sheyanga Beecher
  • CNP, MSN, MPH
  • Hennepin Healthcare Pediatrics
National Strategies Public Relations (NSPR)
  • Media Outreach
  • National Strategies Public Relations (NSPR)
KSTP 5 Eyewitness News ABC
  • Minnesota News Coverage: “Nonprofit using books to help families impacted by ICE activity"
  • KSTP 5 Eyewitness News (ABC)
WCCO - CBS Minnesota
  • Minnesota News Coverage: “Doctors prescribing books to help children traumatized by Minnesota ICE surge"
  • WCCO - CBS Minnesota