About Reach Out and Read Alabama

In January 2006, after considerable research and Executive Board action, the Alabama Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics entered an agreement with Reach Out and Read National Center to launch a statewide "Reach Out and Read-Alabama" coalition under the medical direction of Marsha Raulerson, MD, FAAP, longtime Reach Out and Read proponent, forging a strong relationship dedicated to improving early literacy and school readiness in pediatricians'offices across the state. With 25 Reach Out and Read sites already, ROR-Alabama is committed to expanding the number of sites to increase the number of children who benefit from this valuable program. The statewide coalition director offers guidance and assistance to coalition practices regarding fundraising and administration of the program at the practice level, and oversees statewide fundraising initiatives designed to expand the program to all corners of the state.

Our Mission
Making literacy promotion a standard part of pediatric primary care, so that children grow up with books and a love of reading.

Our Vision
Alabama's children will be better prepared to learn when they start to school because pediatric health care providers incorporated pre-literacy counseling with families into their well-child visits and provided new books at each of those visits.

Coalition Announcements

How Can You Help?

Partner with a Practice
Reach Out and Read-Alabama is eager to identify and partner with organizations and/or businesses that would like to support the ROR program in pediatric care sites throught the state. This partnership would involve:

Volunteer opportunities to assist in reading and organization in specific pediatric practices in the community.

Monetary sponsorship of children's book purchases for books to be distributed at well-child visits.

To get started, email Polly McClure or contact her at 205-223-0097.

Calling All Gently Used Children's Books
Help Reach Out and Read-Alabama create literacy-rich environments in pediatric practices by donating your gently used children's books for pediatric reading corners in waiting rooms. They are also used to distribute to children at various other visits in pediatric primary care providers' offices.

Conduct a used children's book drive in your community, church or business.

Guidelines for Donations:
Used books are accepted if covers and pages are intact, clean and readable. There is a high demand for "board books" with brightly colored pictures for infants and toddlers. We cannot accept encyclopedias, textbooks or books with violent themes or sensitive issues like divorce, abuse or death.

Email Polly McClure or contact her at 205-223-0097 for further information.

Levels of Sponsorship for Children's Book Purchases
(Books purchased at 40-60% discount of retail price)
$275.00 (Book purchases for 10 Alabama children)
$137.50 (Book purchases for 5 Alabama children)
$55.00 (Book purchases for 2 Alabama children)
$27.50 (Book purchases for 1 Alabama child)
Make checks payable to: Reach Out and Read-Alabama, PO Box 477, Clay, AL 35048-0477

Quarterly Updates
A quarterly update on Reach Out and Read-Albama activities can be found in the most recent issue of the Alabama Pediatrician, the Alabama Chapter-AAP quarterly newletter.

Advisory Board Members

Coming Soon

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