Roundabout Books’ sixth annual Head Start Book Drive aims to collect 1,200 new books for kids in program
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Roundabout Bookshop has announced its 6th Annual Head Start Book Drive, in partnership with SELCO Community Credit Union.
Our aim is to provide books to support 609 Central Oregon children enrolled in NeighborImpact Head Start and Early Head Start which is a FREE preschool program for children ages 3-5 and a home visiting program for pregnant women and children through age 3.
SELCO Community Credit Union has pledged 609 books to match a total of 609 purchased and donated by the Roundabout Bookshop community. All donated books are required to be new.
Collecting 1,218 books ensures every Head Start/Early Head Start family will receive two new books during their annual home visit. Early Head Start and Head Start provide education, family service support, healthy meals and snacks, disability and mental wellness resources, referrals and fun family engagement opportunities.
However, sending books home with the children is not an allowable cost, which is where the Central Oregon community comes in. Every donated book ends up in the home library of a child in need.
To make a book donation, visit Roundabout’s website here to see a curated list of books appropriate for these children’s age groups. Click on a book title and add it to your shopping cart. In the order comments, please note “Book Drive Donation.” Customers may also shop from Roundabout Book’s in-store display.
Head Start/Early Head Start requests books on social-emotional development, going to school, and promoting a positive transition to kindergarten. Children’s books in Spanish are also appreciated.
Multiple studies have shown that growing up with books in the home increases literacy and vocabulary, positively impacts future academic growth and job attainment, increases awareness and comprehension and expands horizons. There are even correlations between books in the home and being able to use mathematical concepts in everyday life, as well as the ability to use digital technology to communicate with others.
“Part of Roundabout’s mission is to support our community’s love of reading, and that includes helping all children in Central Oregon have the opportunity to grow up surrounded by books,” said Cassie Clemens, owner of local Roundabout Books & Cafe. “The Head Start Book Drive is one way that we can involve our community in helping these families build their children’s literacy skills through the love of reading. We recognize and appreciate SELCO’s enormous impact on this program, matching every book donated by a customer to double the impact we’re making.”
“We know that early reading helps kids build imagination and curiosity and is truly a building block to further education as they get older,” said Sandy Wagner, Central Oregon Regional Manager at SELCO. “The Head Start Book Drive has become an annual tradition and we are so excited to match donations from the community, doubling the number of books that these children and families are able to take home from this drive and call their own.”
The Roundabout Head Start Book Drive runs through July 31.
Head Start and Early Head Start are programs that pair high-quality early education with other critical services such as health services, nutrition, and family advocacy. Early Head Start serves 152 children aged 0-3. Head Start services 515 pre-kindergarten children aged 3-5. NeighborImpact Early Head Start/Head Start serves children and families living in Redmond, Bend, La Pine, Sisters and Prineville.
Roundabout Bookshop is a full-service independent bookstore, located in the heart of Bend’s Northwest Crossing Community. The staff take tremendous pride in their highly curated selection of new adult and children’s books. Local Bend resident, Cassie Clemans, founded Roundabout Books with a vision of enhancing the life of our community by providing a warm and comfortable place where people of all ages are welcome to read, browse, shop for books, meet a friend, or enjoy an event.
SELCO Community Credit Union is a not-for-profit financial cooperative driven by the desire to improve their members' lives. Founded by a group of educators to support each other through tough times, SELCO now provides this same level of personal service to more than 143,000 members as one of the largest, oldest, and most trusted Oregon-based credit unions.
NeighborImpact’s mission is to support people and strengthen communities. Whether preparing children for kindergarten, distributing over 6 million pounds of food, or supporting a young couple purchasing their first home, NeighborImpact helps meet the needs of more than 55,000 households each year in Central Oregon.
For more information about the book drive, contact Christine Bell at Roundabout Books at christine@roundaboutbookshop.com or 541-410-2822.
For more information about the Head Start Programs, contact Kimberly Brown, Director of Head Start/Early Head Start, at kimb@neighborimpact.org or 541-323-6528 or 541-280-7534.
For more information about SELCO’s involvement and commitment to the Book Drive, contact Olivia Sorensen, Senior Community Development Specialist, at osorensen@SELCO.org or 541-338-3854.
