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For more information on volunteering, visit us at

www. b ooks f rom b i r t h .o rg/g e t - i nvo lve d

NEWS AND NOTES ABOUT SHELBY COUNTY BOOKS FROM BIRTH

The Book ReportSPRING 201

veryone who knows Books from Birth knows that thousands andousands of books are sent to the children of Shelby County every

onth. How are children registered in the program? How do theirarents hear about Books from Birth, or how are they found wheneyve never heard of the program? How are these kids kept ine program when they move and the post ofce is not allowed to

rward a book? How exactly are over 34,000 books, labeled withchilds name and address, sent to over half the children under thee of ve in our county, at no charge to their parents?

he answer often enough is through volunteers! And the numbersf ways that volunteers contribute is as numerous as the books thato out every month! Susan and Bob Batson have combined their

herently creative talents and their zeal for childrens literacy into,ot only a gift for the children of Shelby County, but into a giftr their own family as well.

ke many other families, the Batsons and their relatives drawames for a Christmas gift exchange. But rather than buying andnding gifts, the Batsons then plan service projects and donations

throughout the year which are done to honor the recipient.Christmas this large extended family writes letters describing

gifts, and the letters are all compiled in a Christmas book of servand donations. How much does Books from Birth love being a parthis family celebration!

Susan and Bob have contributed in so many different ways to Bofrom Birth and the cause of early childhood literacy in 2012. Thave registered hundreds of children into the system we use to s

books to preschoolers. They ran the Book It 5k in September, hthe proceeds of which were given to Books from Birth. They hrelabeled and used surplus Imagination Library books to donatseveral classrooms at an inner city school and have staffed Bo

from Birth tables at various special events. And Bob and Suhave donated nancially.

The Joy of Reading was the Batsons gift to their family

Christmas. It was a gift to Books from Birth throughout the yThank you Susan and Bob Batson!

Volunteers Deliver the Gift of Reading

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Shelby County Books from Birth was started by a group ofpioneers who saw a simple solution to a difcult problem, a lackof access to books. What has been established over the past de-cade is nothing short of amazing 41,000 program graduates

and over 34,000 currently enrolled children reaching more thanhalf of all children in Shelby County. These are more than just

numbers, they represent children who have never known a homewithout books, parents who have a treasured resource at theirdisposal, and schools that are improved due to the fact that itstudents are now ready and excited to learn on the rst day ofchool.

The foundation that SCBFB is built upon is one sustained bypartnerships. The rst partnership is with the Dolly Partonmagination Library (DPIL) and the Governors Books from

Birth Foundation (GBBF). The DPIL works with book publish-ers to select appropriate books and deliver them directly to yourhome, which is a service made possible in Tennessee through

a 50% discount offered by the GBBF. This partnership allowsSCBFB special access to high-quality childrens books at a greatlyreduced price.

The second partnership is with community and nonprot partnershat promote the program and dedicated donors that pay the

cost. Each month, over 1,000 new children are enrolled. Mostare enrolled at birth through a local hospital, but others are enrolled

at a pediatric clinic, a library, a community fair or even throughour wonderful nonprot partners like the Junior League andPorter-Leath. All of this work would be in vain if it were not

for leadership gifts by BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee andUnited Healthcare. Their contributions cover about 50% of theotal local cost associated with SCBFB. The remaining funds are

given by local businesses, concerned donors and parents. Last

year, SCBFB had donors from every community in the county,omething that speaks to the wide appeal of the program.

The nal partnership is the one that happens every time a parent or

caregiver sits down and reads with a child. Simply mailing bookso kids does nothing, but when this tool is used to teach and to

build stronger family bonds, everyone wins. We are often told by

parents (and kids!) that they love Books from Birth. They cannot

believe it is free and express a desire to give back, sometimes withmoney and sometimes with their time. While this partnership isnot one we usually see since it happens in dens and living rooms

hrough our county, it is by far the most important one.

Thank you for your support, for spreading a love of reading, andfor believing that all of our children should grow up reading the

ame stories.

Peter Abell

Executive Director

A Note From Our Director

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Shelby County Books from Birth is made possibleby major nancial commitments from:

The Raleigh Pediatric Group is an enthusiastic supporter and propof Books from Birth. Through several tries, this committed chil

clinic has rened the way it introduces patients to the BooksBirth program and encourages parents to register their chiAccording to Dale Farrimond, getting children enrolled is part business end of coming to the clinic, like signing in and up

address or insurance information. Newborns and new patients

age ve are automatically given an enrollment form with theirpaperwork when they check in at the front desk. Similar to a

sicians prescription pad, this Prescription to Read formabout through a grant and partnership with Junior League - phis and helps children get healthy through reading! Parenll it out as they wait and turn it in with their other forms

eliminating the lost opportunity when a parent gets home toresponsibilities and paperwork and never lls out the formforms are all collected by the ofce staff into a designated Pretion to Read box, which volunteers check routinely and then

the data. There is also time to ask regular patients and makthey are already signed up and receiving the books.

Having a system in place to enroll children in Books fromis working for the Raleigh Pediatric Group. Their medicalwhich is always pressed for time, can count on the front deskto check on patients reading habits, and the business staff can

on volunteers to pick up the forms and get the children enrolledBooks from Birth staff, as always, can count on people throuthe community who share the goal of having every child in S

County under age ve receiving a book a month!

The Raleigh Pediatric Grou

Expenses

Revenue

Program Services

Donations

Management

Events

Fundrais

Investm

Income

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Thank you to our friends and supporters.Gifts of $100 and up made between May 1, 2011 and June 30, 2012

$50,000 +

BlueCross Blueshield of TennesseeCity of MemphisUnited Healthcare

$10,000 - 49,999Church Of The Holy CommunionGerber/Taylor Management CoThe Fleetwood FoundationMrs. Nell LevyMcGehee Family Foundation

$5,000 - 9,999FedExunior League Of Memphis

The Schadt FoundationUnited Way Of The Mid-SouthValero Energy Foundation

$1,000 - 4,999Bartlett High SchoolBuckeye Technologie

ackie and Jeff CapwellWalt and Diane ChamblissCollierville Contemporary ClubDelta Kappa Gamma - Epsilon ChapterDilettantesChip and Tricia DudleyW and Kathy Gibsonames and Lucia Gillilandnternational Paper Foundation

Tom LeeAndy and Kim MacQueen

Combined Federal CampaignThomason, Hendrix, Harvey,ohnson & Mitchell, PLLC

Andy and Betsy Saslawskyoe and Mary Scheuner

Peter and Leslie Schutt

Teri ShanahanShelby County Head StartRachel Smith and Kevin OlsenDr. Bianca SweetenRaymond Tanner

The Deupree Family FoundationNick and Jenny Vergos

Gary and Noell Wilson

$500 - 999Dana BufordRoss and Nora CapwellDr. Karen FoxHarry FreemanRobert and Kate GoochLinda HensleyRobert and Cynthia Hoehn

John JacksonJack and Jane MorrisJohnny and Kim PittsCarol SeamonsKay StavrumCorey and Mary TrotzBob Vidulich and Diane SachsDr. and Mrs. Don WagnerJane Walters

Jason and Hallie WardWarren Family Charitable Fund

$100 - 499Sandra AbelAbe and Tammy AbueloufJohn and Melissa AlexanderWalter and Suzanne Allen

Jim and Shirley AndersonAnonymous donorsEd and Margaret AppleSteven and Laurie BakerJim and Alison Barton

William and Annette BickersMilton and Lenore BinswangerCharles and Carmen BlatteisLucile Bondurant

Lisa BoneAndrew and Juliet BoshwitBrandon/Fletcher GroupMary BrubakerBurch, Porter and Johnson, LLCPaula Camillo

Mark and Laura Cary

Daniel CasePat Chambliss

Kemp and Anne ConradSarah Cowen Charlene Cox

Craig and Margaret CardwellJim CurrySally W. DaviesCeleste DavisDelBrocco & AssociatesCindy DobbsJed and Jeanne DreifusMs. Shelley Durfee

Catherine EddinsJeff and Tara EngelbergJennifer EstesSarah ExumMr. and Mrs. Mason EzzellJohn and Amy FarrisPorter and Wendy FeildBill and Sondra FondrenCarol Francisco

Hugh and Margaret FraserSheila Freudenberg

Gallery Group Book ClubCorey GallinaLeesa GavinEmily GayKathryn GillilandJennifer Goebel

Geoffrey GoodinRichard and Karen GrantMadelyn GrayChris GreerJohn and Bonnie Greer

Brenda GrinderMegan GrinderHelen GronauerBarbara Guyton

J.S. and Claudia HackettLauren HackneyHarriett HalmonDiane HalperinLeigh HamicJames and Mary Hamlett

Sherry Hanlon

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$100 499 (continued)Geraldine HaspelHolly HilsenbeckJudy HoffmanTamiko HollomanKathy Hughes

Monique JalenakRobbie Johnson WeinbergFred and Dorothy JohnsonChantel JohnsonSusan JohnsonLes and Leah JonesBeverly JordanKim JordanPhil and Deanna Kaminsky

Haden KaneRon and Lucy Keller

Mr. and Mrs. Jerry KellyDale KelmanKen KimbleRoger and Ann KnoxLandmark Womans ClubBrian and Ann LankfordKim Lasko

Debbie LazarovCindy LenoirMelissa LessleySumner and Phyllis LevineJoan LightmanJay and Susan LindyJoanna LipmanWilliam and Ellen Losch

Michael and Shirley LupferMilton and Jennifer MageeKatie MalloryLee and Susan MalloryBelinda MandrellJulia Maroda

Paul MaxwellKendall MaykowskiMack McCaul

Aaron McDonaldDenice McMahonSimone and Logan Meeks

Tracey MendelsonMargaret Metz (deceased)Katie Midgley

Brenda MorrisJanice MorrisJennifer MorrowLisa Morten

Joseph and Jeanne MortonStephanie NicholsBarbara Holden NixonDeborah NorthcrossOptimist Club of White Station

Hallie PeytonDan and Chloee PoagGary and Lana ProstermanMearl PurvisJeana RayKathy RemsenAmy RhodesRidgeway Ladies Golf Association

Trish RingNeil and Judy RingelMatt and Emily RobbinsHal RobertsNancy RobinsonDr. and Mrs. Robert RuchDiane RudnerDebra Saharovich

Shaun and Jodie SammonsEdward ScanlonPat SchoelkopfJohn SchwabJeff and Mary SextonKush and Pooja ShahJackie ShawkeyRita ShelbyRD and Vicki Singh

Ronald and Linda SklarRobyn Slen

Cameron SmithDr. Chapman SmithCourtney SmithNancy SmithSheri SpurtMr. and Mrs. Ed Stanton

May StinerJack and Cindy StratonDavid StricklandCarlin StuartCarlton and Barbara Sumner

Laurie SuttonMr. and Mrs. Bruce Taylor

Taylor TaylorThe Assisi FoundationThe Destination Diva CompanyThe Wharton FirmBradley ThomasAshley TobiasMary Todd

Lisa Usdan and David PortnoyChalmers ValentineNiranjan VupppuLorrie and Richard WagonerJeffrey and Jeannette WallaceJennifer WatsonTed and Bobbie WaxlerJudy Weatherly

Jami WebbJordan and Michelle WeinbergLara WhiteNeda WhiteWeetie WhittemorePage and Gail Williamson

Linda WimmerEmily WoodsideVictoria Wooten and Joseph Clark

Diana Wright

For a full listing of the almost 900donors that made Books from Birpossible last year, please visitw w w. b o o k s f r o m b i r t h . o r

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b o o k s f r o m b i r t h . o r g 901-820-4501

Books from Birth is changing lives by promoting kindergarten readiness andstrengthening family bonds in Shelby County. We greatly appreciate your support!

Board of Directors

Kim MacQueen Chair

L. Peter Schutt Vice-ChairMatt Robbins Past Chair

Diane Chambliss Secretary

Mack McCaul Treasurer

Katie Midgley Outreach Chair

Betsy Saslawsky Marketing Chair

Mary Scheuner Development Chair

Kemp Conrad

Sally Walker Davies

Judy Drescher

David J. Harris

D. John JacksonJenny Mallery Vergos

Lisa Chow Mallory

Lisa Morton

Chloee Poag, Ph.D.

Carol G. Seamons

Teri Shanahan

Bianca Sweeten, M.D.

Mary Trotz

Hallie M. Ward

Annual Report CreditsEditors: Betsy Saslawsky, Sally Walker Davies, Andra DeVincenzo

Graphic Design: Alexandria Eddings

Peter Abell Executive Director