Celebrate Your Child With A Party Favor That Gives Back!
Whether you are planning a child’s birthday party or attending one as a guest, goody bags are a staple. Candy and fodder for the kitchen catch-all drawer are fun for a while, but don’t have much of a lifespan beyond the ride home.
Through our Red Bags Not Goody Bags campaign, you can send your guests home with a gift that will last all year and spark a conversation about the importance of giving back.
Every week, more than 15,000 children take home a bright red book bag full of books and ask their adults at home to read with them. Over the course of a year, these bags will bring more than 100 high-quality, age-and-culturally appropriate, multilingual children’s books into the home of a child who may not have any books at all.
…And the books are just the beginning! To ensure that children get the most out of every book at home and in the classroom, Raising A Reader provides the adults with the greatest influence in their lives (parents, preschool teachers, and childcare providers) with the same tools as a well-trained early childhood educator. Every night, a family will open their red bag and bond over the books inside, establishing a cherished ritual that builds literacy skills, brings families closer, and prepares our youngest children for school and life success.
How Does It Work?
Turning your party into a force for the greater good is easy! Make a gift of $6.00 (the cost of a red book bag) in honor of each of the children attending your party. As a thank you, Raising A Reader will provide you with a set of bookmarks to hand out in lieu of goody bags. Each bookmark symbolizes the gift of a single bright red bag in that guest’s honor and features basic information about Raising A Reader, along with some tips for talking about this gift (and philanthropy in general) with a child. Contact Raising A Reader to sign up, send in a check or make your gift online, and we’ll mail you a batch of bookmarks based on your donation total. Email Shani Ahearn or give her a call at 415-813-5571 to get started!
If you would like to add a book drive component to your party, Raising A Reader will gladly put together a curated online wish list of books that you can send out to guests in advance. Program staff will give these books to families at workshops and community events to build their home libraries. We can set it up so that books are shipped directly to Raising A Reader’s office, or you can have your guests bring them to the party. This activity offers a fun twist on the traditional book exchange!
Red Bags Not Goody Bags is a simple way to transform a few moments of entertainment into a brighter future for a child. As a bonus, you and your guests will have the opportunity to engage the children in your lives in a conversation about the importance of giving to others. Doesn’t that sound more rewarding than adding another eraser to someone’s collection?
Volunteer opportunities for families with young children are hard to come by – but we’ve got a few ideas!
Visit our Volunteer Page to learn more.