BERNIE'S BOOK BANK

BERNIE'S BOOK BANK SOURCES, PROCESSES AND DISTRIBUTES QUALITY NEW AND GENTLY USED CHILDREN'S BOOKS TO SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASE BOOK OWNERSHIP AMONG UNDER-SERVED INFANTS, TODDLERS AND SCHOOL-AGE CHILDREN. BERNIE'S BOOK BANK HAS SOURCED, PROCESSED AND DISTRIBUTED MORE THAN APPROXIMATELY 29 MILLION QUALITY CHILDREN'S BOOKS SINCE DECEMBER 2009.BERNIE'S BOOK BANK PERFORMS THREE FUNCTIONS EXCEPTIONALLY WELL:(1) WE SOURCE QUALITY NEW AND GENTLY USED CHILDREN'S BOOKS THROUGH PARTNERSHIPS WITH SCHOOLS, BUSINESSES, BOOK PUBLISHERS AND DISTRIBUTORS. BERNIE'S BOOK BANK MANAGES THE COLLECTION PROCESS, TAKING THE BURDEN OFF OF SCHOOLS AND ORGANIZATIONS, AND MAXIMIZING THE DONATIONS OF QUALITY BOOKS.(2) WE PROCESS BOOKS IN OUR PROCESSING CENTER WITH THE HELP OF A LARGE POOL OF VOLUNTEERS (INDIVIDUALS, COMMUNITY SERVICE & CORPORATE GROUPS). EACH BOOK IS REVIEWED FOR QUALITY, SORTED INTO AGE-APPROPRIATE READING LEVELS, "FINGERPRINTED" WITH THE BERNIE'S BOOK BANK STICKER, AND PLACED INTO A DISTRIBUTION-READY BAG OF EIGHT BOOKS. (3) BERNIE'S BOOK BANK DISTRIBUTES BAGS OF BOOKS TO LARGE POPULATIONS OF UNDER-SERVED CHILDREN PRIMARILY THROUGH IDENTIFIED SCHOOLS (BASED ON FREE AND REDUCED LUNCH PERCENTAGES) AND WIC (WOMEN INFANT CHILDREN) PROGRAMS. EACH CHILD SERVED RECEIVES A MINIMUM OF 8 BOOKS PER YEAR, EVERY YEAR, UNTIL THE CHILD COMPLETES 6TH GRADE; CREATING A CONTINUUM OF DISTRIBUTION FROM BIRTH THROUGH 6TH GRADE.CURRENTLY, BERNIE'S BOOK BANK SERVES MORE THAN 315,000 CHILDREN IN CHICAGOLAND AND THE GREATER MILWAUKEE AREA FROM BIRTH THROUGH 6TH GRADE WITH 8 QUALITY BOOKS EVERY YEAR.DURING 2024, BERNIE'S BOOK BANK PROCURED, PROCESSED, AND DISTRIBUTED 2.5 MILLION BOOKS. THIS RESULTED IN NEARLY 30,000 VOLUNTEER HOURS AND ALLOWED US TO CELEBRATE DISTRIBUTING OUR 29TH MILLIONTH BOOK SINCE OUR FOUNDING IN 2009!WE CONTINUED OUR EXPANSION EFFORT INTO MILWAUKEE BY DISTRIBUTING BOOKS TO TWICE AS MANY ELIGIBLE CHILDREN AS IN YEARS PAST (60 MILWAUKEE PUBLIC SCHOOLS, UP FROM 30).