Children

The Gift of Reading

Book distribution


From the donor... right to the child!

At the end of the collection period, the books are inspected, sorted and classified by the age group for which they are intended and by source region. In this way, it is ensured that books collected in a given region are distributed to children in that region.

Some regions have larger pools of underprivileged children, while others have not collected enough books in certain age groups. So the Foundation fulfils these needs through collection initiatives run by businesses and individuals who agree that the donated books can be sent to different areas of Quebec.

 

A gift bag to each child!

Each book is given to the child in a gift bag which also contains:

  • A postcard with the donor’s name and address;

  • A word of encouragement from the donor in the form of a dedication.

Accompanying the book is a tool for parents, bearing the logo and contact information for the Info-Alpha line, a telephone referral service that can help parents who are weak readers: 1-800-361-9142.

The young recipients are strongly encouraged to complete and return a thank-you postcard expressing their joy and gratitude, to the great pleasure of the donors. The Foundation also invites teachers, child care workers and other stakeholders to set up a postcard rally with the children, with a view to increasing the response rate. But the Foundation has no control over the mailing of the postcards by the children, and therefore cannot guarantee that donors will receive news from them.

 

Distribution networks

The Foundation is targeting intermediary distribution organizations that will be giving out children books under the Gift of Reading program. To be selected, organizations must work in an underprivileged environment and work directly with children up to the age of 12.

School system

We target schools in poor areas by means of the Quebec Ministry of Education, Recreation and Sport’s lists of socio-economic indicators by school and building. The recipient classes are then selected on the basis of the availability of books by age group and with a view to fair distribution.

Members of the federation of Famille community organizations

The members of the federation of Famille community organizations take part in distributing the Gift of Reading books to the children attending their organization. These organizations are located in underprivileged areas and reach both parents and children.

Childcare centres

We target childcare centres in poor areas where children can benefit from a book donated through The Gift of Reading.

Other community organizations

Other networks also receive books from The Gift of Reading. They also have to meet the criteria established by the Literacy Foundation to be able to distribute books to children.

 

For further information on the distribution of books and on the activities, call 
1-800-361-9142.