Category Archives: Local Outreach

We challenge you to flaunt your smarts!

Name one of the museums that comprise Chicago’s Museum Campus.

Wilhelm and Jacob are two brothers who wrote over 200 fairy tales. What is their last name?

What was the original color of Peeps marshmallow candies: blue, pink, yellow, or green?

Got the answers? If so, you are not going to want to miss our annual fundraiser on Saturday, February 8th at 7:00. Gather up your friends and family for a night of fun, food, and laughs while trying to come up with answers during three rounds of trivia. There will be other games and prizes to enjoy as well. A perfect way to brighten the winter months!

Head to the website to buy your tickets, or a table, for all of your *team*.

http://www.atozliteracy.org/page32.html

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Telling Our Story

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I dread asking for things.
It makes me uncomfortable.
I get nervous and talk even faster than I normally do. (Webmaster Kristina interjection: That’s really fast!)
But it’s that time of year again – prepping for our annual fundraiser – trying to get things ready with the help of some amazing volunteers. And as I visited local merchants today, asking for small raffle prize donations, I found myself telling our story, the A to Z story, over and over again. I talked about how we have increased our local outreach to kids and families in need here in McHenry county. I shared our work with the Garden Quarter Project and our book fair at The Clinic hosted by Immanuel Lutheran Church.  Of course, promoting the love of reading in Zambia is where we started, it feels really good to tell folks how A to Z is making a difference in their own community.
Please consider joining us on Saturday, February 8th, at 7:00 for our annual fundraiser to help us meet our annual goals. It’s going to be a fantastic time!
You can buy tickets on our website. http://www.atozliteracy.org/page32.html
Hope to see you there!

Trivia Night!!!

So… A to Z has worked hard these past years to make our fund raisers FUN. But. We think we can do better. So this year, we are hosting a trivia night! We will have trivia at your tables, with appetizers and snacks, a cash bar, raffles (with AWESOME prizes) all over the room, wine pong and other games… Seriously. Can you imagine a night as fun as this? We have been working CRAZY hard to bring you a night to remember.  So, come on!!! Join us!!!

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Go to atozliteracy.org to purchase tickets. We can’t wait to see you there!

Christmas at Good Shepherd

By Anastasia Gruper

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Betty Trummel and I get to pose with some very important people.

Children walked with their arms wrapped around books to donate as they entered Good Shepherd Hospital to see Santa. Throughout the night, they were engaged in various activities.  While some sat to tell Santa and Mrs. Claus what they wanted for Christmas, others created reindeer heads to carry home their “reindeer food.”  Still others gobbled up cookies and hot chocolate. When the fireman sat to read Twas the Night Before Christmas, the children all gathered excitedly on the carpet.  And when Santa started the caroling, everyone joined in.  This all was possible because the elves had planned and organized it all so well.

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Through the hum of excitement, children stopped to inquire about literacy both locally and globally.  As they signed their names with hearts on book plates or purchased backpacks, they asked about kids in Africa. Some sat to watch and ask questions about the images of the children reading and writing.

My son, Michael, gets to meet with Santa and Mrs. Claus!

My son, Michael, gets to meet with Santa and Mrs. Claus!

 

As we packed up to leave, my five year old son turned to me and said, “It looks like the kids in Africa will be getting a lot of gifts for Christmas.”  I smiled back at him and said, “Yes, thanks to so many who donated.”

What would Christmas be without literacy?

By Anastasia Gruper

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What do teachers, nurses, firefighters, and Santa Claus all have in common?  They will be supporting the A to Z Literacy Movement on December 9th at Good Shepherd Hospital in Barrington from 6-8.

After Santa arrives at the hospital aboard a fire truck, a local fire-fighter will read “Twas the Night Before Christmas” reminding all of us of the importance of literacy when celebrating our holidays.  Santa will pose for pictures with children while others make crafts and munch on goodies. Please join the cause to increase literacy by bringing a gently used book to donate, purchasing a book bag, or purchasing a book plate at the backward book fair.  There is no better way to begin the holiday season than by giving. We hope to see you there!

After the Storm

By Mal Keenan

Many of you have heard the news and seen the pictures of houses and buildings destroyed by the violent storms in central Illinois two weeks ago. As residents begin to rebuild their lives, monetary donations, food and clothing are being collected to help the communities move forward. Volunteers are working alongside victims to help gather personal items from the wreckage.

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But what else has been lost in the tornadoes? Books. Last week, the call for new books was sent out to organizations like the Illinois Reading Council. In keeping with our mission of getting books into children’s hands and helping those in need, A to Z Literacy Movement has prepared two boxes of new children’s books to be delivered to the Regional Superintendent of Tazewell County.

Even though the donation is small, we know every little act of kindness helps. Helping one family or one group of students is a good place to start.

More Thoughts on The Clinic

imageBy Erik Merke

Whether you’re a teacher, tutor, parent, or student, you know the power of a favorite book and the joys that come from reading.  Obviously, there is a feeling of satisfaction and fulfillment when volunteering, but A to Z goes beyond that.  When A to Z isn’t sending books to impoverished schools in Zambia, they help local residents through community outreach events, such as the book fair held at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Crystal Lake.

Students of all ages filed into the gymnasium looking for books.  Getting just the right book into the hands of an eager young reader was my goal that day.  Each volunteer hoped to ignite a spark that would ultimately transform a casual page-turner into a life-long reader.

As new books found themselves into the bags of each student who came to shop, I could see their smiles as they browsed the table tops.  That’s what volunteering at the Clinic was all about for me -getting kids excited about reading books.  As I talked about various authors and explained book plots, I hoped they saw how much I liked books, and that my enthusiasm would rub off on them.  It was an awesome experience and I look forward to volunteering again.

Libraries and the A to Z Mission

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Pat’s trunk frequently looks like this.

By Pat Kelly

The books we recycle originate from many sources. One of the major, recurring places which provide us with quality stories is libraries. Public libraries have book sales and naturally, there are leftovers after the doors have closed. In a most generous manner, libraries donate those volumes left to non-profits.

Having gone to quite a few of these giveaways, I‘ve developed into an efficient gatherer. Time is of the essence when collecting books at a post-sale giveaway, and so I have become pretty good at judging books by their covers. Once I have an interesting one in my hands, I flip through it briefly to check condition (we look for very good condition), reading level and appropriate content for Zambian children. Quite a number of subjects that American children read about wouldn’t convey well to a Zambian child.

I thrill to find the occasional book which directly relates to Africa, such as a folktale or picture book about African animals. I also happily add to my box those stories which were my own children’s favorites.

Our partnership with libraries plays an important part in the support system carrying out the mission of A to Z Literacy Movement.

Another thing we are all thankful for.

Books! Thank You!

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Thank you, Mary Windsor, from the Elmhurst Library, for donating three wonderful bags of children’s books. As with all of our donations, volunteers will sort through the stacks and decide what books are best for kids here in Illinois and what books will be shipped to schools like Mango Grove Community School in Zambia, Africa.

Please feel free to check out our book donation guidelines to see if you have a few books to donate.

http://www.atozliteracy.org/page12.html

Getting Books into the Hands of Kids at The Clinic

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By Anastasia Gruper

The anticipation of getting books into the hands of kids made setting up seem like an eternity.  First we met to pack the car full of books and shelves to display the plethora of titles.  Then we unpacked and set up in the Immanuel Lutheran gymnasium. The Brownie troop and Cole had a great handle on the set up; it would never have been completed so quickly without them.  As we moved boxes of books, we were able to chat with other non-profit organizations setting up for the clinic.  The passion and commitment of so many individuals was heart warming. Once the set up was complete, we waited patiently for the people to arrive.

As the first few people walked through the books, I watched as my friends and colleagues helped children find the perfect book.  Not wanting to steal the joy from anyone else, I waited my turn.  When a twelve year old girl brought her six year old brother through the line, I asked her what types of books she liked to read.  She shook her head no, as if to say she wasn’t interested. Her little brother had found four books rather quickly, and I knew from her glancing at the books that she would love a few for herself.  I picked up Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli and began to tell her why I loved the book.  As if being polite, she accepted the book.  I moved on to A Long Way From Chicago by Richard Peck and then First Light by Rebecca Stead. The girl took each book I chatted about. As I left the gymnasium, I prayed that something I said interested the little girl to read.  Something in my heart tells me she just needed to be encouraged to take a few.