IDAHO, USA — Books can be a lot of different things for children: A learning opportunity, a portal into another world, or a way to bring families together around a story.
To make sure that kids throughout the Treasure Valley have access to books, United Way of the Treasure Valley is kicking off its eight annual United Way Children's Book Drive.
Reading proficiently by the end of third grade is the single most important factor for a child's success, according to Book it Forward! Idaho.
United Way's Children's Book Drive is trying to gather 17,000-20,000 new and gently-used children's books to make sure students have opportunities to read an expand their minds.
To kick off the book drive, United Way and Book it Forward! Idaho stopped by Snake River Elementary School in Nampa on Tuesday to talk about the importance of reading and give out free books to students. Nampa Mayor Debbie Kling also read to students.
"Reading is the foundation of our lives," Mayor Kling said. "It opens the door to places that we may never get to visit - and we get to capture it in a book. So, no matter what our goal in life is, the ability to read is really the foundation and what opens the door for our future."
To build on that foundation, United Way of the Treasure Valley is gathering donations of new and gently used children's books at WaFd branch locations until April 14.
"It's an opportunity to engage the community in helping to lift up literacy and the love of reading across our community," Tim Jackson, CEO of United Way of the Treasure Valley said.
Jackson says the book drive is a great way to give back to the community, while also helping foster a love of learning for the next generation.
"The mission of United Way is to mobilize the caring power of our community," Jackson said. "We do that around education, financial stability, as well as helping people live healthy lives. So, when we think about having a strong education community, it starts with literacy - it starts with books. This is a very tactile way to be able to get the community involved."
Organizers say it's crucial for children from all families across the Treasure Valley to have opportunities to read and learn.
"In low-income families, over 60% of those families have no children's books in the home at all. So, our goal is really to get out the books to the kids who need them the most," Terri Garabedian, co-founder of Book it Forward! Idaho said. "So, we try to do that. We understand how important it is for kids to read by the end of third grade."
Nampa School District leaders say that reading is an indicator of academic success. The more a student reads - the better they do across multiple subjects in school.
"One of the things that we know, and it's shown time and time again in research, is when families read together - families spend time together," Niall Trimble, director of federal programs for the Nampa School District said. "And two, it actually makes a big difference on kids' education in the long run."
If you're a parent who wants to spark your child's passion for reading, Trimble says to start small - read with your child for a few minutes at a time, and read a book they're interested in. That will help a child bring that love of reading onto themselves, which will help development and academic success for the rest of their life.
"The bright eyes of our kids are what inspire us every single day," Mayor Kling said. "We should never lose sight of seeing things through the eyes of a child."
The United Way Children's Book Drive is going on now through April 14.
United Way is asking people to donate any new or gently used children's books. Donations can be dropped off at any Treasure Valley WaFd bank branch locations. More information can be found on the United Way website.
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