Book it Forward! Idaho, a joint initiative of Idaho Voices for Children and
The Cabin, is dedicated to increasing access to books for children. We collect new and gently-used books and get them to kids who have little to no access to books at home.
Kids are learning to read up through third grade, and after that, they are reading to learn. Reading proficiently by the end of third grade is the single most important factor for success in school and in life. Having too few books for kids in low-income homes is a barrier to developing their reading proficiency.
Did you know?
Low-income homes on average have 1 book for every 300 children. By comparison, middle and high-income homes have 50 books for each child.
The availability of reading material in the home is directly associated with a child’s achievement in reading.
Of the 19.6 million children in the country under the age of six, more than 40% live in poverty.
Nearly half of these children from low-income communities start first grade up to two years behind their peers.
A child who does not learn to read may face dire consequences. 85% of children in the juvenile justice system are functionally illiterate.
Here’s how you can help:
Donate any new or gently-used books to Book It Forward! Idaho. Your donation is tax-deductible. Click here for a tax receipt form. We will provide those books to children who need them to become successful readers.
Make a monetary donation and all funds will be used to buy new books for kids, especially ones we do not receive as donations, such as social and emotional learning, dual language, and books on diversity.
Support our semi-annual promotions at Barnes & Noble Boise by mentioning Book it Forward! Idaho when you make your purchases and by purchasing a new book for a child.
Volunteer to help clean and sort books. Set up a shift using the contact information below. We can deliver books to your home with instructions on cleaning and sorting the books.
Our warehouse is located at The Cabin (801 S. Capitol Blvd, Boise, ID 83702), and is open M-F, 9 am-5 pm, but it is currently closed to the public, due to the pandemic.
Interested in hosting a book drive?
You can hold your own book drive for Book it Forward! Idaho. Book drives are a fun and rewarding way to engage your school, organization, and/or friends in efforts to increase access to books to kids in Idaho.
If you are interested in hosting a book drive, please download, complete, and return our registration form.
In the Treasure Valley, you can drop off new and gently-used books at the following dropbox locations:
The Treasure Valley YMCA (Downtown, West, and Caldwell locations)
Barnes and Noble (1315 N Milwaukee, Boise, ID)
Or you can deliver your books to the following business locations:
The Cabin (801 S. Capitol Blvd, Boise, ID – temporarily closed to the public)
Idaho Voices for Children (1607 W. Jefferson St., Boise, ID)
United Way of Treasure Valley (3100 S. Vista, Boise, ID)
What have we accomplished so far?
Book it Forward has collected and donated lots of books through local partnerships!
Donated 665,000+ books to children since the Spring of 2013.
Partnered with United Way of Treasure Valley for 6 years in an annual state-wide book drive.
Established a warehouse operation at The Cabin to store, process, and send out book requests.
Set up collection sites at the Treasure Valley Family YMCA’s Downtown, West, and Caldwell locations, United Way of Treasure Valley on Vista, Barnes & Noble at 1315 N Milwaukee, The Cabin on Capitol Blvd, and Idaho Voices for Children at 1607 W Jefferson.
Partnered with many area schools to hold book drives, including Roosevelt, Foothills, and Highlands Elementary schools, as well as Boise High School, Bishop Kelly High School, Galileo STEM Academy, and Riverstone International.
Donated tens of thousands of books to organizations such as Terry Reilly Clinics; Title One schools in Caldwell, Nampa, and Boise; Family Advocates; Ada County Juvenile Detention Center; Literacy in the Park; after-school programs; WICAP and Head Start learning centers; WIC Clinics; and the Boys & Girls Clubs, among many others.
Book it Forward has won awards for its work!
Awarded a $14,000 grant in 2015 from the Silver Sage Porsche Club of America. With these funds, we installed additional outdoor collection boxes, built and stocked 12 Little Libraries, and purchased dual language books for 0 – 5-year-olds.
Awarded the Governor’s Brightest Star award for 2017, recognizing our impact and volunteerism in the community.
Awarded the Bob LeBow Community Health Award in 2017 for providing over 45,000+ books to Terry Reilly Clinics.
Impact beyond Idaho!
In 2018, as a one-time project, for 8 weeks Book it Forward collected 2,000+ books for a middle/high school in Humacao, Puerto Rico, and raised funds to ship them to the school, as well as provided a $1,100 cash donation to the school.
In 2018, Book it Forward helped fund a school library in South Africa. This library was made from an old shipping container and now students have a space to borrow books in Swahili!
Contact:
For information on donating books, to request books, or to volunteer, contact Diane Schwarz, dianeschwarz@hotmail.com.
Need a receipt for a donation?
Click here for a tax receipt form
Sources:
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