If you are reading this, thank your parents, guardians, teachers and mentors who helped you learn to read when you were young. The South Sound Reading Foundation understands how important youth literacy is to their future success. Since 2001, their mission has involved supporting parents, teachers and organizations by putting youth-appropriate books and child development information into their hands, so they can spark a love of reading in children.
“We envision a community where all children read well, enjoy reading, and where reading opens new opportunities,” shares Joy Bustanoby, South Sound Reading Foundation development director. “The South Sound Reading Foundation is an integral part of bringing our community closer to this vision.”
Boosting Literacy in Thurston and Mason Counties
Reading is best learned when young. The sooner kids are exposed to books, the better. I was fortunate enough to have parents who loved to read, and some of my first memories are of being read to. “Call of the Wind” and “Scrub Dog of Alaska” – I was born in Alaska – are two that stand out from when I was in elementary school.
But not all youth have this type of experience, and that’s what South Sound Reading Foundation is all about – getting books into the hands of every child and giving their guardians the tools they need to help them foster a love of reading. “The main challenge to kids learning to read at a young age is exposure, availability and consistency,” shares Joy. “Through all our programs, we serve over 90,000 children, youth and families each year. Eighty percent of the families we serve are low-income. As of 2019, fourth-grade reading levels are up 11% across our service area since 2001. We’ve watched curiosity and love of reading blossom for thousands of children and have witnessed the strengthening of families and communities through the shared goal of literacy. Studies have shown that being read to as a child and having books in the home are the two most important indicators of future academic success. Childhood literacy is associated with improved learning, better self-regulation, more well-developed interpersonal skills, conceptual abilities, and potentially even improved adulthood health outcomes.”
South Sound Reading Foundation Services
The South Sound Reading Foundation services all families in Thurston and Mason counties. While they focus on families with low-income and Title 1 schools, their services are free for everyone. Services include:
Books for Babies: Gets board books, information on reading with baby, brain development, and other literacy information to families leaving the hospital with their newborn.
Born to Read: Works with pediatricians, home health nurses and midwives to get board books and literacy/brain development information to low-income families with babies at their 6-month check.
Connect With Me: Provides books and literacy materials to incarcerated parents to share with their children during family visits. Educating families about the importance of reading is one of the best ways to ensure all children benefit from regular family reading time.
Bag O’Books, Books for the Break, Literacy Bookshelves and Little Free Libraries: Make books consistently available for children of all ages.
Literacy Book Van: Partners with local schools, afterschool programs, childcare providers, parent and caregiver support groups, low-income housing units, and rural areas to promote reading by delivering free books and literacy materials. The event has to be free. Last year, the South Sound Reading Foundation Literacy Book Van went to 900 sites and gave out more than 58,000 books. You can request the van be at your event by emailing the Foundation. “The book van does not usually go to individual homes, although if a need arises, we have been known to meet readers in their communities, sometimes with deliveries to their doors,” adds Joy. “Our main goal is to make sure that location and cost are not a barrier to access.”
“Each year we also collaborate with community partners for the REACH program organized by local activist Barbara Clarkson, which organizes backpacks of essentials, books, goodies and toys for homeless and displaced youth in the North Thurston school district during the summer break,” she continues. “This year we packed over 800 backpacks to be delivered to the schools for distribution to children in need.”
Supporting the South Sound Reading Foundation
We all know kids in our lives who could use some help with reading, even if that just means getting them to enjoy it more! Helping the South Sound Reading Foundation with its mission is easy. You can donate gently used and new children’s book at their drop boxes located in Fisher-Jones Family Dentistry, TAGS and Olympia Pediatrics, or at the South Sound Reading Foundation office. They can also arrange to pick up books.
Anyone can donate money via the South Sound Reading Foundation website or organize a book drive. Currently, they are hoping to upgrade the Literacy Book Van in the near future, to something more reliable and sustainable. “We are working on ways to help finance this project so that we can continue to provide our services to kids all across the South Sound,” shares Joy.
Volunteers are also always welcome. You can help clean and process books, do community outreach activities like story times, help with pick up and deliveries and at fundraising events, like their annual Books by the Bay. This year, the event is happening September 13 and will feature two New York Times bestselling authors, food and drinks, live music, silent auction and more. Learn more by visiting the South Sound Reading Foundation website.
“We rely on the generosity and giving spirit of our community – individual donors and organizations – to do the work we do, and we are lucky to have a group of amazing community and business partners who support our work,” shares Joy. “We’d love to thank the South Sound community for believing in our mission and for showing their support for our organization over the years.”
