About Reach Out and Read California

The mission of Reach Out and Read's Statewide Program Director in California is to put books in the hands and homes of young children by helping to implement and sustain local ROR programs throughout the state. Started in 1999, ROR efforts in CA now represent more than 430 hospitals, clinics and community health centers throughout California that distribute approximately 550,000 new books each year to more than 400,000 children (one-third of California's low-income children and families. The position of Statewide Program Director in CA was created in May 2007 to act as liaisin between local ROR sites, county-wide coordinators and ROR National Headquarters in Boston, MA. ROR's CA Office facilitates technical assistance to all starting programs as well as existing ROR sites. ROR's Statewide Program Director also facilitates sharing of important information between all ROR sites and coordinators through development of a statewide communication infrastructure that includes a monthly teleconference call and quarterly review designed to provide a 'refresher course' to long- time ROR staff and medical champions as well as, to support new ROR coordinators. ROR's Program Directorin CA's role also includes fundraising to benefit all ROR sites throughout our state as well as, building partnerships with California Chapters of the American Academy of Pediatrics, the California Rural Health Association, the California State Library, a variety of First 5 County Commissions, and various family literacy programs. These partnerships have helped to expand the number of ROR programs throughout the state as well as foster linkages to other community literacy efforts.

Coalition Announcements

CA ROR Meetings:

Monthly teleconference calls and quarterly reviews are offered to all site staff and coordinators throughout California. A variety of topics from book ordering, program reporting and storage, volunteer recruitement and retention as well as fundraising and marketing are covered. ROR' Program Director and experienced site coordinators share their expertise to assist new ROR champions in implementing and supporting ROR activities.

To subscribe to the ROR listserve for CA, send an email to: roya.yasharpour@reachoutandread.org and ask to be added to the list.

Training: Training is provided for medical providers who are just starting a ROR site in California as well as for those who need to be re-trained. Please contact Roya Yasharpour for more information.

Newsletter: Currently ROR's biannual newsletter is on hold. We will revisit the possibility of continuing this project in June 2008. For updates and inquiries, please contact roya.yasharpour@reachoutandread.org.

Donations: ROR in CA appreciates the donation of new and gently used books. Used books are made available for siblings and are used to stock waiting room bookshelves. To make such a donation, contact Roya Yasharpour at (310) 277-8767 to find a ROR site near you.

Financial donations are also greatly appreciated. Our greatest need is to underwrite the cost of the new books distributed by the health care providers and we are currently building a statewide book fund. For as little as $10 a year, a child can benefit from ROR literacy guidance and the gift of two new books. Please make your tax-deductible donations payable to: "Reach Out and Read in CA"
and send to Roya Yasharpour, 11120 Moorpark Street, #3, North Hollywood, CA 91602.

Volunteers: Volunteers are a vital part of the ROR program and are needed in all waiting rooms to share books with children and their families while they wait for their appointments. Volunteers can also be instrumental in various fundraising project such as facilitating ROR community book fairs to raise money for new books. Volunteers receive specific ROR training prior to placement from the specific location where they will be working. For those interested in reading in waiting rooms, please know that due to HIPAA laws, not all clinics or hospials willb e able to have book readers in their wainting rooms. To find an opportunity with a ROR site near you, please contact Roya Yasharpour at (310) 277-8767.

Reach Out and Read in California has recently secured a collaboration with Books Are Fun, a Reader's Digest Company that specializes in coordinating and implementing book fairs. Any ROR sites interested in hosting a ROR Community Book Fair as part of the collaboration with ROR statewide will enjoy 19% of all of the book sales. One percent of all sales will got to ROR in CA for administrative purposes and to share with other ROR sites, in way of new books.

Reach Out and Read in CA will host 2 booths at the Los Angeles Times Book Festival 4/26 and 4/27) to help promote ROR statewide and to raise money for new books. ROR's booths are sponsored by Books are Fun. To find out how you can help, please contact Roya.yasharpour@reachoutandread.org.

Advisory Board Members

Roya Yasharpour, Statewide Program Director

Victor Perez, M.D

This Board is currently being formed

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