2022 Book Drive Information HERE!
6th Annual United Way of Treasure Valley Book Drive Makes Big Impact on Low-Income Children
At United Way, we understand how critical access to books are to the success of all children in the Treasure Valley.
Experts are nearly in 100% agreement that babies should regularly experience books as soon as they experience speaking; essentially in the first weeks of life. “Reading aloud to young children is not only one of the best activities to stimulate language and cognitive skills; it also builds motivation, curiosity, and memory.” (source) From birth to age 5, a child’s brain develops more than at any other time in life. And early brain development has a lasting impact on a child’s ability to learn and succeed in school and life (source). The quality of a child’s experiences in the first few years – positive or negative – helps shape how their brain develops.
Imagine being young again and having no books in your home. Imagine that no adult ever read to you. For low-income kids in Idaho, this is the reality. Only 1 in 300 low income Idaho kids actually owns a book.
Think about that. One in 300. It's a startling statistic.
At this time, we are postponing the official "Book Bash", which is when we sort, clean, and distribute the books in keeping with government health officials' recommendations to avoid large gatherings over 20 amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. WE ARE STILL ACCEPTING YOUR BOOKS AS INDICATED ABOVE!
The Children's Book Drive is brought to you in partnership with Book It Forward Idaho! and Barnes & Noble. Donate here to help fund this project!