Bernie’s Book Bank needs help reaching their goal of collecting 100,000 books this summer for young children in need throughout Chicago.
What: Bernie’s Book Bank and Wintrust Community Banks have partnered to create a book drive that will provide books to children who may not have steady access to adequate reading materials in their homes. Studies show that 61 percent of low-income families do not have any books in their homes for children, and it is Bernie’s mission to give these kids the chance to learn to read early on.
When: June 16 through August 16.
How: Donate new or gently used children’s books to any Wintrust Community Bank location. Books should be appropriate for infants, toddlers or school-aged children.
The organization: Since 2009, Bernie’s Book Bank has distributed more than 1.5 million books to more than 70,000 children in low-income homes throughout the Chicagoland area. Their goal is to make children “reading ready” before they even set foot in a classroom, providing each child served with a minimum of 12 age-appropriate books a year that they may keep forever.
