News From around the Bay
San Francisco & Alameda Counties
New to the Raising A Reader Family
Classroom expansion for 2010-11:
1,051 new children & families!
Alameda County: 92nd Avenue Head Start  Berkeley Home
Base  Emery Marina Head Start  Jefferson Head Start  Hillside
Head Start  Lorenzo Manor Head Start  Madison Head Start 
Oceanview Early Head Start  Oceanview Head Start 
Sacramento Early Head Start  Sacramento Head Start  San
Leandro Adult School Head Start  South YMCA Early Head
Start  South YMCA Head Start  Vera Casey Early Head Start 
West Berkeley Early Head Start  West Berkeley Head Start
San Francisco: Burnett CDC  Ebenezer FCC  Compass
Children's Center  Epiphany Parent-Child Center  Florence
Crittenton Services – Hayes Valley Center  Harbor House 
Helen Hawk Children's Center at Compass Clara House 
Heritage Homes  John King Child and Family Center  Kai Ming
Head Start – Broadway  Kai Ming Head Start – Powell  Kai Ming
Head Start – Sunset  Orfalea Toddler Program  Vistacion Valley
Family School  Wu Yee – Generations  Wu Yee New
Generations  Whitney Young CDC – Masonic  Whitney Young
CDC – Bayview

Raising A Reader is excited to welcome two new staff
members to our team, Pat Toney and Sara Rizik-Baer.
― I love the look of anticipation on their little faces as I slowly
open my red bag to reveal the illustrious BOOKS!‖ said Pat.
Pat Toney, Program Associate in Alameda County, earned her
Masters of Library and Information Science with an emphasis in
children’s librarianship at San Jose State University. Prior to
working with RAR, she was a member of the Association of
Children’s Librarians of Northern California, Bibliotecas Para La
Gente and the American Library Association. She completed
undergraduate coursework in early childhood education, and
earned a BA in Development Studies at University of California,
Berkeley. Pat began working out of the UWBA Oakland office in
August.
―I am excited to share my passion for reading and literature by
helping children gain an enthusiasm for books at an early age.
There is nothing more wonderful than watching a child’s face light
up when they open the door to a whole new world of knowledge
and questions simply by opening a book," said Sara. (cont’d p. 2)
November 2010 ● Volume 2, Issue 3 ● Raising A Reader, San Francisco & Alameda Counties ● (415) 808-4343 ● (510) 238-2443
On behalf of the nearly 9,000 families that benefit from the
RAR program every year, we thank you.
The Raising A Reader team depends on volunteers to sort through
thousands of books, package them according to the individual needs of
a classroom or center, and then help deliver them. It is a huge job that
requires attention to detail, unflagging enthusiasm for making sure kids
get the books they need, and, of course, some expert delivery teams.
This effort would not have been possible without the many partners
and supporters who opened their warehouses, spent hours counting
and double-checking books and materials, boxed them up, and then
drove many, many miles to deliver RAR books and red bags! Thanks
to Caltrans, FEDEX, First 5, Cordis Corporation, RAR Board
of Directors, UWBA Campaign Fellows and Emerging
Leaders, and all our wonderful friends, supporters, and
families!

Raising A Reader Named a 2010 Top Non-Profit!
Highlighting the work of Raising A Reader affiliates in the Bay Area,
Philanthropedia has voted Raising A Reader a top US non-profit!
Philanthropedia is a nonprofit organization working to help donors make
smarter donations by connecting them with some of the highest-impact
nonprofits in a cause. Learn more at http://www.myphilanthropedia.org/
FAQ #1: “How does the RAR program reach nearly 9,000
children with a staff of 5?” The answer is simple. The most
effective way to ensure that a child arrives in kindergarten ready to
read and ready to learn, is to support the child’s family to share
books at home regularly and interactively.
Our program model is focused on empowering families to share
books with their children by ensuring that they not only have access
to outstanding, age-appropriate books, but the tools and support they
need to make book-sharing part of daily life.
RAR is integrated into existing infrastructures that support families
every day. Our partnerships and relationships with families,
educators, libraries, and early childhood agencies are a
crucial program ingredient.
We tailor our support according to individual site needs, whether it is
a Family Childcare Provider or part of a school district. After 18
outside evaluations of our scalable model, RAR has proven to be
systemic change, simply achieved.
 Community Partnerships
The Raising A Reader Travelling Book Nook
has been busy!
. . . On October 21st, eight different literacy organizations came
together to offer the inaugural family literacy night of the Oakland
Literacy Coalition—with an emphasis on early literacy— at
Brookfield Elementary School in East Oakland. Families from
Brookfield Elementary, Brookfield Child Development Center and
Brookfield Head Start enjoyed many different activities including story
time in the RAR travelling book nook, science and literacy games, face
painting, and collage making of their favorite Eric Carle animals!
. . . In San Francisco on October 30th, Raising A Reader and the SF
Early Literacy Network joined the Halloween Family Resource Fair
at the Alice Griffith Opportunity Center. After face painting,
literacy activities, and creating tissue paper flowers, kids took some
time to relax and read some of their favorite story books!

Raising A Reader’s Sara Levine & Pat Toney,

sharing their favorite Eric Carle books at the
inaugural Brookfield Family Literacy Night.

(cont’d from p. 1)
Sara Rizik-Baer comes to RAR after working in Oakland as a Teach for
America Corps Member, leading a bilingual 2nd grade classroom for two
years, and teaching Ethnic Studies and Academic Leadership at a public
charter high school in Hayward. She earned her B.A. at Oberlin College
where she double majored in Comparative Literature and Hispanic
Studies. She believes that each child can and will be successful when the
community, and most importantly, the family, is involved in his or her
growth and education. Sara began with us in September.
We warmly welcome them both to the team!


Thanks to our major funders for their generous support
Alameda County:
The Kenneth Rainin Foundation, Every Child Counts – First Five
Alameda County, The Thomas J. Long Foundation, The WD
Foundation, United Way of the Bay Area, East Bay Community
Foundation, Trio Foundation
Sara Rizik-Baer, representing RAR & the ELN, at the
San Francisco City & County: Alice Griffith Opportunity Center
Bella Vista Foundation, First 5 – San Francisco, San Francisco Harlem Children's Zone Joins Raising A Reader
Foundation, San Francisco Unified School District, United Way of Welcome to our newest RAR affiliate –
the Bay Area the Harlem Children’s Zone in New York City!
 Harlem Children’s Zone, a renowned, pioneering,
community-based organization that works to secure a
To make a difference for young children and bright future for every Harlem child, will begin
their families in the Bay Area, implementation of the Raising A Reader program as
Sponsor a Reader today! part of its Early Head Start home visiting program and
For more information contact Molly Wertz, 415-683-5462 will serve more than 100 children and families.

Page 2 November 2010 ● Volume 2, Issue 3 ● Raising A Reader, San Francisco & Alameda Counties ● (415) 808-4343 ● (510) 238-2443