Direct Care to Kids Initiative Expands Reach to Nonprofits Serving At-Risk Youth

Direct Care to Kids Initiative Expands Reach to Nonprofits Serving At-Risk Youth

Partnership Between The Public Education Foundation, Spread The Word Nevada and Communities In Schools of Nevada aims to provide children hygiene products, books, academic materials with convenient and safe “drive-thru” service

The goal of Direct Care to Kids is to help meet basic immediate needs relative to prevent students from falling further behind academically. The initiative provides books and educational materials to students, so they may continue learning from home during the COVID-19 pandemic while schools are closed. While recipients include students who are considered most at-risk and case managed by Communities In Schools of Nevada (CIS) site coordinators at high poverty schools throughout Southern Nevada, the program is now being expanded to local nonprofit organizations who serve families with school-age children.

Kits include:

  • An age appropriate book for readers at elementary grade levels PK-5 donated by Spread the Word Nevada
  • Science/Technology/Engineering/Math (STEM) workbooks for various ages donated by The Public Education Foundation
  • Other items which may include dental kit, hygiene kit, school supplies and activity worksheets

To request kits please complete the donation form here.
(https://form.jotform.com/stwnprograms/dctkkitrequest)

Nonprofits requesting kits will need to pick up kits from Spread the Word Nevada located at 1065 American Pacific Drive Suite 160, Henderson, NV 89074. An email confirmation will be sent to the person completing the form and Spread the Word Nevada will contact you to schedule your pickup.

Anonymous Donor to Match up to $5,000 in Giving Tuesday Now Donations to Spread the Word Nevada

For Immediate Release

Anonymous Donor to Match up to $5,000 in Giving Tuesday Now Donations to Spread the Word Nevada
Funds to Help Non-Profit Buy New Books for Students Affected by the COVID-19 Pandemic

Las Vegas – Henderson, NV (April 30, 2020) – Spread the Word Nevada (STWN) announces an anonymous donation match of $5,000 through the Giving Tuesday Now campaign, celebrated on Tuesday, May 5.

As an emergency response to the estimated 140,000 Nevada students without access to online learning opportunities, the children’s literacy nonprofit continues to provide books to children and families in need. Donations through Giving Tuesday Now will allow STWN to purchase new books to safely deliver to homes in Nevada.

“It’s important now more than ever to get books into the hands of children in Nevada,” says Lisa Habighorst, STWN Executive Director. “Our community comes together on this day and every day to make sure these kids are reading and learning to provide a brighter future for themselves and our state.”

For every $2 raised, Spread the Word Nevada can purchase one brand new book to place into the hands of an at-risk student. With the addition of this generous gift, every dollar raised will be matched to provide double the number of books going out into our community.

Giving Tuesday Now was designed to drive an influx of grassroots generosity and support for communities and nonprofits around the world facing this unprecedented crisis. Contributions of any size can be made here.

About Spread the Word Nevada
Spread the Word Nevada, Inc., is a children’s literacy nonprofit, 501(c) (3) corporation, dedicated to advancing early childhood literacy by placing books into the hands and homes of children within Nevada’s at-risk, low income communities. While developing a love of reading, these libraries promote future academic achievement and self-confidence, which impacts lifelong success. Since 2001, Spread the Word Nevada has distributed more than 5.5 million gently used and new books to approximately 575,000 low-income youth in Nevada. Please visit www.SpreadTheWordNevada.org to learn more about program details or call at (702) 564-7809. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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Media Contact
Samantha Picazo 702-564-7809
samantha@spreadthewordnevada.org

A Message from Lisa Habighorst, Co-Founder & Executive Director…

Dear community partners, donors, and volunteers –

Some of the greatest literary masterpieces boast some of the most unexpected plot twists. The protagonist never senses what’s happening until they are brought face-to-face with untimely and often unsettling circumstances. We write to you today feeling a little bit like that protagonist, standing toe-to-toe with a formidable opponent. The impact of COVID-19 (coronavirus) has left our community confused and a little anxious. But as with all good stories, the more difficult the obstacle the more triumphant the ending. We will get through this obstacle. It is a twist in our story that we certainly didn’t expect, but Spread the Word Nevada has never been afraid of a challenge.

With that said, all great warriors abide by the law (and the health code), and we would like to update you – our STWN family – on the steps that we are taking to address this challenge. We continue to monitor the situation closely and want to make clear that the safety and health of our STWN family is paramount to us. As such, STWN has implemented the following changes to our operations:

As of Friday, 3/13/2020 all school-based STWN programs (Breakfast/Snack Time with Books, and Books and Buddies) have been temporarily suspended until further notice per the guidelines and restrictions set forth by the Clark County School District and Nevada Governor’s office.

As of Monday, 3/16/2020 all volunteer activities and fingerprinting services were suspended until further notice per the guidelines set forth by the CDC, WHO, and SNHD. The suspended volunteer activities include:

  • All book cleanings
  • Private volunteer events
  • Books & Buddies mentoring
  • Breakfast/Snack Time with Books volunteering
  • Amazon scanning and listing

As of Wednesday, 3/18/2020 the Spread the Word Nevada staff will be operating on a “work-from-home” basis per the direction of the Nevada Governor’s office. Please do not hesitate to reach out to us via email if you have questions or concerns. We are here for you!

While this has, and continues to be, a new challenge each day, please rest assured that we will resume our normal programming as soon as it is safe for our team and those we serve. We hope this letter serves as a beacon of hope in a dark time. With our friends, family, and community partners by our side, we will be victorious in our drive to take down this unwelcomed foe. And until we are allowed to wrap our arms around each and every one of you, we would like to offer you a few pieces of advice taken right from some of our favorite literary classics. Feel free to share these with your friends and family and encourage them to find peace and hope within the pages of a good book during this break.

With heartfelt wishes for good health and happy days ahead,
Lisa Habighorst
Executive Director
Spread the Word Nevada