IN MEMORIAM -- NANCY KING
The RIF NOVA community is mourning the loss of Nancy King, a longtime board member and friend. Nancy passed away unexpectedly on March 25 due to complications from surgery.
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A former principal in Arlington, Nancy joined Reading is Fundamental of Northern Virginia to continue educating children in our community. She served in many capacities at RIF NOVA, including as president and vice president. She also served as the chair of the Future of RIF NOVA Committee at a time when RIF NOVA and organizations like it had lost federal funding. She was an early supporter of new fundraising efforts to keep the organization afloat, including the Book It For Books 5K, first tried in 2016 and now repeated six times. Most recently, she served as area co-chair of Prince William County and as Contracts chair. She approached every role with enthusiasm, dedication, and always a smile. Most of all, she was deeply committed to our mission of putting books into the hands of children.
Nancy was awarded the Margaret McNamara Award in 2015. Named in honor of Reading is Fundamental's founder, the McNamara Award is the highest annual honor given by RIF NOVA. In 2024, Nancy was awarded the Jerry Shelton Award for Longevity of Service, an honor given to a longtime board member who has actively and continuously served in efforts to advance the goals of the organization. Before her death, Nancy had planned to be president of the Arlington Retired Teachers Association, where she also served for many years. As ARTA wrote on its website: "This is a great personal loss for many of us, as well as a great professional loss to many organizations to which Nancy dedicated so much time and love." RIF NOVA is one of those organizations where her loss -- both professionally and personally -- will be felt for years to come. We will continue the work Nancy cared so deeply about and honor her by carrying forward her commitment to our students and our mission. She meant so much to the RIF NOVA community and will be truly missed. |
Will you help us fund books for kids?
Link here to find out how!
Link here to find out how!
Why do we work so hard -- and ask you to help us -- to provide books to underserved children? According to published surveys 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 RIF NOVA-supported 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!
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Dr. Ingrid Bynum, Executive Principal, Region 3, Fairfax County Public Schools, 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! |
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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. If you are a Federal employee or retiree, please consider the CFC as an option during open season every year. Our number is #18818.
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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 NOVA and the children we serve! To subscribe to the RIF RAP, please sign up here.
RIF 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.
Reading is Fundamental of Northern Virginia, Inc. is proud to be a top-rated 501(c)(3)U.S. nonprofit -- EIN 51-0155758.
RIF 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.
Reading is Fundamental of Northern Virginia, Inc. is proud to be a top-rated 501(c)(3)U.S. nonprofit -- EIN 51-0155758.
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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