It is a fact that Hispanic children represent slightly more than 20 percent of all children under age five in the United States and yet, only 14 percent of Latino fourth-graders and nine percent of eighth-graders can read at or above basic or advanced skill levels. Gisselle Acevedo, President and CEO of Para Los Niños
LatinaLista — We know that if those reading skills aren’t fully developed during these vital early school years, high school can be a humiliating challenge for these kids who eventually feel working a manual labor job and earning money is a lot better than being made to look dumb in a classroom. To avert these kinds of sad outcomes, it’s imperative that children in elementary and junior high school develop a love for reading. Macy’s is launching a month-long campaign in partnership with Reading is Fundamental (RIF) called Book a Brighter Future to help raise awareness and support children’s literacy.
From July 1 through August 31, 2009, Macy’s customers can give $3 and receive a coupon for $10 off a $50 in-store purchase at any Macy’s nationwide. Macy’s will donate 100 percent of every $3 to RIF.
For every $3, $1 will support local RIF programs near the Macy’s store; $1 will support RIF’s Multicultural Literacy Campaign; and $1 will help RIF’s ongoing efforts to provide reading resources to millions of underserved children across the country.
While most of us may feel our lives are too busy to actually sit down and share a story with a child, unless you’re a parent or a relative with small children in the family, the next best thing is to contribute while engaging in one of our most favorite activities — shopping.
Three dollars is a small price to pay to make a significant difference in a child’s life.
That small donation could be the start of a whole new story for some deserving child — increasing the odds for a happy ending!
