books change lives!
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As RIF of NOVA continues its second half century in the Northern Virginia area in 2024, we celebrate the FACT that reading matters! For over 50 years, we have been providing books to deserving children in our community -- the City of Alexandria and Arlington, Fairfax, and Prince William counties. During that time, we have given hundreds of thousands books to children who need them the most. And we hope to continue for 50 more...as long as there are children in our region who have few -- to even no -- books of their own. And with your help, we CAN!
And when we say your help, we mean YOUR help! We are an all-volunteer nonprofit. and all our activities are funded by YOU! This year, in homage to the Paris Olympics, RIF of NOVA is hosting a fund- and fun-raiser: Book Olympics! Letters and emails have been sent to our supporters to help us raise the funds we need to supply new books to 20,000+ deserving children in Northern Virginia. YOU can be a supporter, too! All donations through the end of calendar year will support our Book Olympics initiative. |
Will you help? Link here to find out about Book Olympics!
Why do we work so hard -- and ask you to help us -- to provide books to underserved children? According to a U.S. Department of Education survey published on the Scholastic website, nearly two-thirds of low-income families they studied owned no books for their children. Does this matter? YES! The survey continues:
“The only behavior measure that correlates significantly with reading scores is the number of books in the home.”
Building home libraries for our children can REALLY make a difference. Over the course of elementary school, each NOVA RIF child will accrue his or her own library of books -- a key factor in reading success, according to a 2023 Scholastic paper.
Can even ONE book change a life? The answer is a resounding YES!
Dr. Ingrid Bynum, Executive Principal, Region 3, Fairfax County Public Schools, and Mrs. Virginia America 2023 knows the difference that ONE book can make. ONE book from a RIF bookmobile when she was in elementary school changed her life and put her on a path to academic and career success.
When I was a child, I lived in poverty, and getting my education was my way out. It all started with the first book I ever owned. That ONE book came from Reading is Fundamental (RIF). RIF works to give children who live in poverty books so they can start their love of reading. Reading changes lives! I know because it changed mine!
When I was a child, I lived in poverty, and getting my education was my way out. It all started with the first book I ever owned. That ONE book came from Reading is Fundamental (RIF). RIF works to give children who live in poverty books so they can start their love of reading. Reading changes lives! I know because it changed mine!
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At $4 per book, you can give a child in our Northern Virginia community not only a book but a better chance at reading and academic success! The children's faces below show the joy they feel when they have chosen a book for keeps!
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Your generous donations to the cause of literacy for children in our region will be most gratefully appreciated. If you'd like to help, click here or on the Donate box below or on any page to donate online. Or please send a check to the address listed below.
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Reading is Fundamental of Northern Virginia, Inc. P.O. Box 7012 Arlington, VA 22207-0012 |
Check out our latest newsletter, the RIF RAP, to learn more about RIF of NOVA and the children we serve! To subscribe to the RIF RAP, please sign up here.
RIF of NOVA is committed -- through its actions in providing books to children in the Northern Virginia region -- to building a sustainable, equitable, inclusive, and resilient community.
RIF of NOVA is committed -- through its actions in providing books to children in the Northern Virginia region -- to building a sustainable, equitable, inclusive, and resilient community.
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Proud to be a top-rated U.S. nonprofit
Reading Is Fundamental of Northern Virginia, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) organization (EIN 51-0155758). |
CFC # 18818
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UWNCA # 8959
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"Reading is the key that opens doors to many good things in life. Reading shaped my dreams
and more reading helped me make my dreams come true." -- Ruth Bader Ginsburg
"Children should learn that reading is pleasure, not just something that teachers make you do in school."
-- Beverly Cleary