Support our work by giving today! Count Me In! Opening Doors by Opening Books!

“If winter comes, can spring be far behind?”  - Percy Bysshe Shelley, Ode to the West Wind -

In this newsletter:

December Literacy Resources: Read a new book month! Family Literacy Calendar Community Spotlight: New Community Advisor Lilliana, A New Neighbor, and a Tasty Evening Give to Our Annual Appeal and Earn a Generous Match! Who is Supporting RAR-MA?

December Literacy Resources Recursos de alfabetización de diciembre

Brrrr - It’s getting colder and what better way to celebrate ‘Read a New Book Month!’ than with a cozy blanket and some cocoa?   As the season turns, we’re sure to see some flurries… Check out one of our all-time favorite books, The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats. Be sure to check out our Story Time Video as well!   Speaking of snowy days, doing things with your young learners such as puzzles, shadow puppets, and looking through/cutting out magazine pictures are all great indoor activities for when it’s too cold outside - and double as opportunities to practice telling stories with them!

Family Literacy Activities Actividades de Alfabetización Para la Familia

Our Family Literacy Calendar is a handy day-by-day resource of simple literacy-building activities and fun that you and your family can easily do at home! ¡Nuestro Calendario de Alfabetización Familiar es un recurso útil para el día a día con actividades sencillas de alfabetización y diversión que usted y su familia pueden hacer fácilmente en casa!

Family Literacy Calendar Calendario diario de alfabetización

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Community Spotlight Lilliana Tirado Arteaga

A hearty winter welcome to our newest Community Advisor, Lilliana! Lilliana is the Boston Community Hub School Coordinator at the Umana Academy Dual Language school in East Boston. Prior she spent thirteen years helping prepare families and young children for school as Group Coordinator at the Countdown to Kindergarten Parent Child Playgroup in East Boston. Her experience with the Boston Public Schools in East Boston is not limited to working with the children, but teachers, parents and the community as a whole.

Lilliana is known for her expertise in supporting the Latino community while also welcoming and nurturing other races and cultures represented in our community.  We’re very excited to welcome Lilliana to the RAR-MA community!  Read more about her on our blog.

Community Spotlight: Audley Travel

Howdy, neighbor! A shout out to our neighbors in downtown Boston, Audley Travel, who held a book drive and delivered them to our door.

Thank you, to the Audley team, and a big thank you to Heather, who coordinated the donation. With the cold weather, we know we’re dreaming of warm places to travel! If you would like to help our community with a book drive, check out this resource page for tips and requirements.

Community Spotlight: An Evening With Nadia Liu Spellman

It’s always nice to have an amazing chef in the community! We were thrilled to host a wonderful evening earlier this month to celebrate our friend Nadia's new cookbook, DUMPLiNG DAUGHTER: Heirloom Recipes from our Restaurants and Home Kitchens, full of family recipes and the stories behind them.  In addition to being a delicious read, the stories in the "DUMPLiNG DAUGHTER" cookbook are a wonderful example of the power of family engagement. And what better way to connect with a story than over some food! We are grateful to count Nadia as a partner and member of the RAR-MA community. We are also pleased to announce she will be one of our authors at this year’s ‘Dinner With An Author’ Gala - stay tuned and save the date of May 11, 2023! You can learn more about Nadia’s popular restaurants and purchase her cookbook here.

Give to Our Annual Appeal and Earn a Generous Match

As we near year's end, we are reaching out with our Annual Appeal. This year our goal is to raise $85,000 by December 31, 2022.  Thanks to the generosity of the Bancel Foundation, every dollar you give to Raising A Reader MA between now and December 31, 2022, will be matched up to $30,000 - doubling the impact of your gift! A gift in any size will make an impact and be matched. Join us in our continued mission to close the early literacy gap and provide opportunities to the leaders of tomorrow. You can donate here on our website. Thank you all for your continued support.

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Who's Supporting RAR-MA?

The work we do toward helping young learners cannot be done without the generosity and thoughtfulness of our partners in our mission. We are so grateful to count the following organizations for their support: Bluestone Bank Charitable Foundation The Charlotte Home Cotiviti Cares The Folliard Family Fund The HarborOne Foundation The Newmont Foundation The Paul and Edith Babson Foundation The PNC Foundation Winning Home, Inc. Thank you all so much, from the entire RAR-MA community.

Visit our site to learn more about the mission and how you can get involved. Opening Doors By Opening Books - Join Us Today! Count me in!

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A United Way Partner Agency