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In 1988, BMI established a Special Projects Committee to identify, study and recommend funding for those projects/organizations which promote literacy, reading, education or other book related programs deserving special financial and membership support from the Institute. BMI member companies submit projects/organizations from communities they operate in for consideration for this fund.
In 2008, BMI supported the following organizations with grants. Combined, these organizations serve over 3.5 million children and adults:
Organization: Submitted by: Center for Literacy Timsons, Inc. Cleveland Reads Kolbus America Inc. First Book-Collier County Bulkley Dunton Publishing Group Hope Street Ministry Hengsbach & Associates, Inc. Portage County Literacy Council Worzalla Publishing Company Project Read The Mazer Corporation Reach Out and Read Malloy Incorporated The Rotary Club of Jefferson City RR Donnelley Skyline Literacy Coalition RR Donnelley Washtenaw Literacy Edwards Brothers, Inc.
In 2006, BMI established, in conjunction with the Special Projects Committee, a Readership Committee to create awareness and encourage member companies to participate in activities and support organizations that focus on preventing illiteracy in early childhood.
Following are the activities that several of the BMI member companies are currently involved in to support early childhood literacy efforts:
Appleton Coated LLC
Paul E. Bradshaw, Senior Vice President
Appleton Coated feels that it is important to give back to the community and to support our employees in their volunteer efforts. A sampling of the organizations and programs that have recently received support from Appleton Coated follows. These donations are consistent with our charter to support literacy and families in need.
· The National Holiday Book Program: Appleton Coated employees' generosity through book purchases and financial support resulted in hundreds of books sent to local organizations and over one thousand sent to children's programs nationwide. Special thanks are due to Scholastic Inc. who each year responds generously to our call for support. In 2006, they provided a large selection of books (1,514 total, 18 titles) to 25 national and 4 local organizations. Holidays can be a tough time of year for many people and the books help these organizations lighten the burdens and concerns of those that come to them in their time of need.
·
Fox
Valley Literacy Coalition:
Our annual financial support
of the Fox Valley Literacy Coalition helps fund textbooks, student workbooks,
picture dictionaries, and learning software for the computer lab. People from
Brazil, India, Thailand, Mexico, Japan and Fiji now call the Fox Cities and
surrounding communities their home and need to learn English to survive and
become part of our community. Local English-speaking residents with low literacy
levels or those who do not have a high school diploma are also served by the
coalition.
Edwards Brothers, Inc.
John J. Edwards, President & CEO
· Edwards Brothers supports the Washtenaw Literacy group. This group works with people over 18 who cannot read or are ESL (English as a second language) learners. They have a staff of 5 and manage 400 volunteers. We support them with financial contributions, printing (brochures and newsletters), and making employees available to be ESL tutors. Our president, John Edwards, has been an active member of the Washtenaw Literacy Board of Directors for a number of years.
Glatfelter
Mark W. Pitts, Director
· Glatfelter purchases books that appear on the New York Times Bestseller list that were printed on Glatfelter paper and donates them to the entire York County Library System (13 libraries).
· Glatfelter provides financial support to the “One Book, One Community” reading program designed to promote the value of reading, foster lifelong learning, and developing strong community identity through recommending a compelling book that links the York County community in a common conversation.
· Glatfelter established and maintains the Glatfelter Memorial Library in Spring Grove, PA.
· Glatfelter sponsors various York County Literacy Council events.
IBT Global
John R. Paeglow III, President
· Literacy Volunteers of Rensselaer County: Literacy is the foundation of a democratic society. As our culture becomes more complex and dependent on technology, literacy becomes increasingly crucial to the achievement of individual potential. Literacy makes it possible for individuals to become fully functional, contributing members of the communities in which they live and work. IBT Global, has made a total commitment to helping achieve the goals of the LVORC, and is deeply involved in program development and administration, volunteer and fundraising efforts, and the strategic planning necessary to insure continued growth of the Literacy Volunteers. Two of IBT’s employees are on the Board of Directors and dozens more have served as volunteers in LVORC fundraising efforts. The LVORC is committed to the personal growth of its students, and the effective use of tutors and volunteers. The following is a sampling of the programs we participate in, already established for the students:
- Individual Tutor Training: Certified volunteers provide free tutoring in Basic Literacy and English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL). Tutors work with adults in an interactive, learner-centered, whole language approach. Training is conducted one-on-one for 2 hours each week for a minimum of one year.
- Read With Me: Volunteer readers are paired with students in grades K-6 at local schools. This program encourages a love for books and increases students’ reading skills.
- Family To Family: This program brings together families who speak English with families who are learning to speak English. The “Family to Family” program promotes family literacy and cultural exchange while providing a comfortable atmosphere that promotes friendship and learning.
- English Language Civics: EL Civics is a fun and effective way for recent immigrants and foreign-born residents to improve their English skills while learning about life in America. Classroom model instruction is also provided to employers with large populations of foreign-born or non English speaking employees.
- Financial Literacy: This program was developed to instruct students in the basic tools necessary to improve their money management skills.
- Telephone Conversation Partners: Telephone Conversation Partners allows volunteers to use the telephone to practice English with intermediate level ESOL students. Telephone partners set up their own schedule of weekly 30-minute sessions.
- The Race for Literacy: A sanctioned 5K and 10K race that is sponsored by local businesses including IBT Global. Last year IBT had over 65 participants who ran/walked to raise over $8,500 for the cause.
- “Publish Your Own Book”: A unique fundraiser created and funded entirely by IBT Global. This major fundraiser for LVORC is a raffle-based program that allows the raffle winner to publish a book of any type. IBT Global works with the raffle winner from the design stage through final manufacturing of the book. This program is expected to be the largest fundraiser of the year for the Literacy Volunteers.
International Paper
Jim Cannatella, Senior Sales Rep.
Literacy is one of the cornerstones of IP Giving--not only in Memphis (International Paper headquarters), but around the world. We have numerous examples.
· Our partnership with National Geographic is one of the largest as well as the Earth Day Butterfly kits where the environment and literacy are focused on.
· Our mills are doing great work in the area of literacy. Most adopt schools, provide mentors and volunteers for the classrooms which means buying books.
· In Memphis, we have someone on the board of directors of the Memphis Literacy Council. They receive a grant from the IP Foundation each year.
· We have the Read To Achieve Literacy event with the NBA Memphis Grizzlies where thousands of local school children have a reading contest. IP is the sponsor.
· We adopt two local schools in Memphis -- Coleman and Winridge Elementary.
·
We are
partnering with MidSouth Reads and The Commercial Appeal Newspaper to bring a
children's author to Memphis to speak to school children about the importance of
reading. For the last 10 weeks, a series
of articles for kids has been published in the newspaper and have been sent into
the classroom.
· In early November 2007, we are sponsoring the inaugural event with the Memphis Literacy Council to bring well known authors to Memphis to encourage adults to read.
· IP is also a big supporter of the Abundant Forest Alliance (AFA) whose efforts to promote literacy include:
- Partnership with First Book, a national nonprofit with the single mission of providing children from low-income families the opportunity to read and own their first new books.
- 10,000 copies of the children’s book The Tree Farmer donated to the communities most devastated by Hurricane Katrina.
Kolbus America Inc.
Robert L. Shafer, President
· Financial support to Cleveland Reads, the Greater Cleveland literacy coalition, which acts as the primary literacy resource for more than 130 youth and adult education programs in the Greater Cleveland area.
· Kolbus America employees volunteer at local community centers in tutoring adults and children in reading, and at events supported or hosted by Cleveland reads for the purpose of raising funds.
·
A Kolbus
America executive serves on the Board of Directors for Cleveland Reads and on
the Executive and Development Committees.
William L. Upton, President
· Malloy has adopted Reach Out and Read (ROR) as an organization we want to support. ROR is a national program which works with pediatricians to communicate to the parents of young children the importance of reading aloud to children between the ages of 6 months and 5 years. This is a vital activity in preparing children to learn to read once they attend kindergarten. As part of the program, pediatricians give their patients copies of books at each well baby checkup in the 6 month to 5 year age range. Some of the actions Malloy has taken to support ROR include:
- In 2006 and 2007, we featured ROR in an insert to our annual holiday cards. A number of publishers responded to the information we sent by making cash donations, and two of our customers donated books.
- A group of Malloy employees cover two 4-hour weekly time slots at a local pediatric clinic. They read to children in the waiting room, offer books to parents to read to their children while waiting, and are on call to read to children or siblings in examining rooms while their parents confer with the doctor.
- One of the volunteers mentioned above, organized a used book drive at Malloy. All employees were asked to donate used children’s books to expand and re-stock the supplies available to the volunteers to use and distribute in the waiting rooms.
- We’ve also made cash donations to the ROR chapter in Ann Arbor, but through our contact with them we’ve found that getting volunteers to read in waiting rooms and donations of lightly used books are actually their greatest needs.
- For more information on Reach Out and Read, visit http://www.reachoutandread.org/
The Mazer Corporation
Ken Fultz, Vice President & General Manager
· Mazer matched the contribution that BMI made to Dayton Project Read.
· At times and with the customer's permission we donate left over books to local schools or libraries.
· The Mazer Corporation through The Mazer Foundation makes several contributions to assist local private and public schools with their readership improvements.
McNaughton & Gunn, Inc.
Julie McFarland, CEO
· Julie McFarland is currently serving on the Literacy Coalition for Washtenaw County, a county backed initiative whose goal is to eliminate illiteracy in the county. The group is newly formed and still in the planning phase at this point.
· Julie also serves on the Finance Committee for Washtenaw Literacy, a non-profit organization focused on providing one on one tutoring to adults in both basic literacy and ESL (English as a Second Language). Their website is www.washtenawliteracy.org. We have also supported the organization financially and through volunteer efforts.
Muller Martini Corp.
Angela Jansen, Executive Assistant
· As a way of lending support toward the effort to battle illiteracy, Muller Martini Corp. has joined with the BMI to provide monetary donations to Literacy Suffolk – an organization that effects countywide change by working to improve individual literacy skills through the use of trained volunteers and by expanding community awareness. Muller Martini contributed $2,000 and BMI matched that amount. Werner Naegeli, President and CEO of Muller Martini Corp., presented a $4,000 check to Christine Moriarty, Finance Director for Literacy Suffolk.
Océ North America, Inc.
Sheryl Pattek, Senior Director, Marketing Services
· The Océ Future Authors Program exemplifies our commitment to growing the market for books and promoting youth literacy. Working with the School District of Palm Beach County, Barnes & Noble, Maroone, and other local partners, Océ hosted the second annual Océ Future Authors Project workshop this past summer. Nearly 40 middle & high school students worked hands-on with local authors & Océ book experts to author a collection of works entitled, “No Such Thing as Writer’s Block: Creative Works from the Next Generation of Authors.”
Quebecor World
Kevin J. Clarke, President
· Quebecor World Buffalo – For many years Quebecor World Buffalo combined with the cooperation of book publishers have supported the Books for Kids literacy program. This initiative for Western New York children has placed books in the hands of impoverished children in our community. The project is based on the belief that a child who develops the love of books and reading gains a major foundation for success. Books for Kids works in partnership with Project Flight, which has earned national recognition for its effort in promoting literacy in children and caregivers, through school and family literacy initiatives. Since its inception in 1995 the Books for Kids program has distributed over 1.3 million books. The books are distributed through recognized community groups with priority given to groups that sponsor programs which promote reading and family literacy.
· Quebecor World Versailles – The Versailles Plant has participated in numerous programs to promote literacy in the State of Kentucky. Last year, it was Kentucky Hands and the Woodford County Literacy Council. The Kentucky Hands program is a voluntary, educational home visitation program for 1st time parents between the prenatal program and the child’s 2nd or 3rd birthday. The Woodford County Literacy Council provides books to over 800 disadvantaged children targeting the ages birth to 14 years.
· Quebecor World Dubuque – Dubuque donates $1000 each year to Apples for Students. The program is a local program that supplies school supplies to needy students. Over 1,200 bags were distributed in 2007. We are awaiting an announcement of a grant through BMI and Quebecor World Dubuque. The recipient is Dubuque Community Schools and their Second Chance Reading program for middle and high schools. Their request was for financial support of the classroom libraries geared to remeditating the deficits of students reading below grade level. QW Dubuque agreed to match any grant from BMI up to $2000.
John Faust, Book & Directory Publishing Services
· Quebecor World has been an active supporter and long-term investor in the "Campaign to Promote Literacy" sponsored by the Bookbinders' Guild of New York. This is a program committed to helping New York adults learn to read, write, and speak English.
· Quebecor World provides support to Learning Leaders, a non-profit organization providing tutoring and other educational support services to the youth of New York City.
· Quebecor World is involved in the Bookbuilders West's programs focused on literacy and encouragement of reading among our nations' young people.
·
All Quebecor
World manufacturing facilities are active in providing financial support and
volunteers for literacy and educational programs in their communities. This is
accomplished through direct aid to the literacy agencies or through the local
United Way organization.
Webcrafters, Inc.
Jac B. Garner, President
· Webcrafters has "adopted" Mendota elementary school of the Madison Metropolitan Schools. That "adoption" includes a sizable annual financial gift to support the purchase of educational materials and a number of employee volunteer initiatives including mentoring for math and reading.
· Several of our employees volunteer at the Madison Literacy Council, a social service that targets adult literacy needs. By working with the Madison Area Technical College and by using a variety of state workforce development grants, Webcrafters has offered on-site classes for employees to earn their GEDs. We have also offered on-site classes in basic and intermediate English as a Second Language.
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