BookBaby Onesie

Read Aloud launches BookBaby Shirt campaign to support literacy in WV 

Read Aloud West Virginia has launched its 2024 BookBaby Snap-bottom Shirt campaign as both a fundraiser and reminder of the value of reading to children. 

Baby shirts are available for purchase here: https://www.bonfire.com/2024-bookbaby-onesie-1/ 

The cotton baby shirt featuring a design by Charleston artist Brenda Pinnell of HepCatz Design, makes an ideal gift. Proceeds support Read Aloud WV. 

Research shows that children who connect reading with pleasure and have access to print books read more and become more proficient readers. The habit starts early as parents and caregivers read to babies. 

“Singing, rhyming words, naming things, and reading books to children all help prepare children to read by school age,” said Read Aloud Executive Director Dawn Miller. “It‘s astonishing sometimes how beneficial just reading for fun can be.” 

Neuroscientists have found that reading to children causes the brain to establish networks of brain cells that are used later when children learn to sound out words. Researchers have also found that the vocabulary and background knowledge that children learn from listening to stories is one of the most important factors in reading comprehension later. 

“A Read Aloud onesie is a nice, gentle reminder of creating healthy reading habits,” Miller said. “You can hang the sign right on the baby’s belly. Also, you can never have too many onesies. 

“We hope grandparents, aunts, and uncles like the shirts as gifts,” Miller said. “By giving a shirt to a future reader in the family, they are spreading the word about the importance of reading to kids, and at the same time supporting Read Aloud in helping kids all over West Virginia discover pleasure in reading.” 

Read Aloud’s mission is to motivate children to WANT to read, because motivation is the critical first step in developing any skill. Read Aloud involves families, the medical community, businesses, civic groups, and the society at large in building a culture that values reading. 

Read Aloud is a statewide nonprofit and volunteer network working to improve childhood literacy since 1986. Hundreds of Read Aloud volunteers visit classrooms all across West Virginia to read to children each week. Read Aloud distributes more than 20,000 books to children every year. 

Children Reading

Donate to Read Aloud; lower your tax bill 

NIP credits offered for gifts of $500 or more 

You qualify for Neighborhood Investment Program tax credits if you: 

— Pay income taxes in West Virginia, or 

— Pay corporate net income taxes in West Virginia, and  

— Donate $500 or more to Read Aloud West Virginia. 

Taxpayers can use this credit even if they don’t itemize on federal or state income tax returns. 

It works like this: 

  1. Send a donation of $500 or more to a qualifying organization, such as Read Aloud WV. 
  1. Read Aloud sends you a voucher for as much as half the gift amount. At tax time, turn in the voucher to reduce your tax bill by that amount. Taxpayers may use all or part of the credit. They have five years to use all the credit. 

A larger gift qualifies for a larger credit. So, a $1,000 donation gets $500 in tax credits. A $5,000 gift qualifies for $2,500 off, and so on.  

The maximum tax credit allowed in any one year is $100,000. Donors cannot reduce their total state tax bill by more than 50 percent. 

NIP credits are administered by the state to encourage donations to local nonprofits. 

Every dollar donated to Read Aloud results in more time spent sending volunteer readers into classrooms to motivate children to read for fun, or giving kids happy, choice-filled book distributions. 

As little as $100 can fund books for an entire classroom, while $1,100 can fund a month of Books for Babies, providing a new book for all babies born at Women and Children’s Hospital, CAMC, for example. 

To donate: 

  1. Mail a check to Read Aloud WV, PO Box 1784, Charleston, WV 25326 (the most cost-effective method). 
  1. Go to readaloudwv.org and click the Donate button to make a secure donation through Square.  
  1. Transfer stock. Call 304-345-5212 or email stateoffice@readaloudwv.org for details. 
  1. Direct a retirement account distribution to Read Aloud. If it comes straight from your financial institution, even a disbursement from a tax-deferred plan may not incur taxes, and it will also qualify for the NIP tax credit. Call or email for details. 

Our Annual Fund update: Why we ask

As we near the end of the year, Read Aloud West Virginia is grateful to the many donors, friends and volunteers who support our efforts that motivate children to want to read. We cannot do it without you.

Our Annual Fund drive continues. We are trying to reach goals for next year’s work. If you have not given and are considering, please know:

1. Read Aloud has Neighborhood Investment Program tax credits available. Those credits can be used any time over the next five years, starting with the donation year. They lower a West Virginia personal income tax bill or a corporate net income tax bill by as much as half the gift amount starting with donations of at least $500. Donors may receive no more than $100,000 a year in NIP credits, and credits cannot be used to reduced a tax bill by more than half. That means a $10,000 donation would cut a tax bill by $5,000. A $500 donation would reduce a tax bill by $250.

2. What we are doing is working. First, Read Aloud focuses on motivating children to want to read, not fussing at them to read.

Steve Keenan/The Montgomery Herald
Fayette County educators, parents, Read Aloud volunteers and Brookfield Renewable employees gather to mark the company’s recent donation. At center, Read Aloud West Virginia Executive Director Mary Kay Bond, Kevin Moriarty of Brookfield Renewable; and Andrew Davis, Brookfield Renewable director of stakeholder relations, North America, hold the ceremonial check.

Brookfield Renewable gives $15,000 for local youth programs


Montgomery — Brookfield Renewable has donated $15,000 to Read Aloud West Virginia to support literacy for the children of West Virginia.

“As a member of the West Virginia community, and particularly the Fayette County and Montgomery areas, we are proud to be able to make this donation,” said Andrew Davis, Brookfield Renewable Director of Stakeholder Relations, North America.

“Read Aloud West Virginia has done tremendous work in promoting the importance of reading among the youth of West Virginia by keeping books in children’s hands and by teaching them how reading is not only a valuable life skill, but how fun and enjoyable it is,” Davis said.

Read Aloud’s Annual Fund Drive — Why we ask

Letters will arrive in mailboxes any day now — it’s time for Read Aloud West Virginia’s 2018-2019 Annual Fund drive.

Why does a mostly volunteer organization need to raise money?  Read Aloud’s work, even its very existence, depends on funds provided by our wonderful donors. These contributions enable our staff to support local chapters and grow our program.

While volunteer chapters are the face of Read Aloud in their respective communities, we know from experience that they count on an office and staff to support them. We’ve actually tried it the other way with all volunteers. Read Aloud was founded in 1987 but from 2000-2007, we existed without staff, and the number of chapters fell from 53 to four in that time period.

Read Aloud was re-established with a central office in 2007-2008. Quality and involvement have grown steadily since. Today, we serve more than 200 schools in 31 counties.

That progress would not be possible without our generous donors.

Read Aloud routinely evaluates efforts to make sure we put time, effort and money where they do the most good to help West Virginia children grow into successful readers and students. Over time, our activities have been winnowed down to four broad categories: weekly classroom Read Aloud volunteers, distribution of books, classroom enrichment and public education.

During the last school year, Read Aloud volunteers reached 33,000 students across the state. Imagine 33,000 students, week after week, enjoying new books or old favorites, each student seeing a “live commercial” for reading together, just for fun.

As comments from teachers in this newsletter show, students of all ages look forward to this time and “light up” when their Read Aloud reader enters the room.

That is what our donors make possible.

That is why the letters are on their way, to encourage you to consider making a donation to help us continue the work of getting books in the hands and on the minds of West Virginia’s children.

Thank you for reading and for being a Read Aloud supporter.


We have Neighborhood Investment Tax Credits available while they last.

Checks can be made payable to:

Read Aloud West Virginia
P.O. Box 1784
Charleston, WV 25326

Questions? Call 304-345-5212 or email readaloud@frontier.com

Thank you

 

It’s not too late to give to Read Aloud West Virginia!

It’s not too late to contribute to Read Aloud’s 2017-2018 Annual Fund! Read Aloud’s work is dependent on funds provided by our wonderful donors. These contributions enable our staff to support local chapters and grow our program.

While volunteer chapters are the face of Read Aloud in their respective communities, we know from experience that they count on an office and staff to support them. Read Aloud was founded in 1987 but from 2000-2007, we existed without staff and the number of chapters fell from 53 to four in that time period. Read Aloud was re-established with a central office in 2007-2008. Today, we serve more than 200 schools in 30 counties. That progress would not be possible without our generous donors.

Annual Fund letters were mailed in October and many of you have already contributed. We thank you! Please remember the 2017-2018 Annual Fund drive continues and is not closed at the end of the calendar year. If you have not done so, please consider making a donation to help us continue the work of getting books in the hands and on the minds of West Virginia’s children.

Twitter - Kroger

Kroger Community Rewards

Did you know you can contribute to Read Aloud while you shop? If you enroll in Kroger Community Rewards, a percentage of your purchases at Kroger will be donated to Read Aloud!

To enroll, visit https://www.kroger.com/account/enrollCommunityRewardsNow.

Then, create an account, search for Read Aloud West Virginia and within 7-10 business days, you will be enrolled in the program.

This enrollment is completely free and Kroger directly donates a percentage of your purchases to Read Aloud West Virginia.

Purchases are eligible at any West Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky or Virginia location.

Kroger Fuel Points are not impacted by your enrollment.

Once enrolled, simply swipe your Kroger Plus card or enter your alternate ID (typically a phone number) at check out and Read Aloud benefits from your shopping!

Please be advised that each year you must re-enroll in the program.

This is a great way to be involved with Read Aloud and give back to your community!