Have you heard about AFT’s First Book Program? 
Since 2012, First Book and the AFT have partnered to bring high-quality books and resources to educators, families and children across the country. From small classroom book giveaways to large-scale reading festivals distributing over 30,000 books in a day, First Book and AFT are making books more accessible to all while equipping educators with the tools to enrich the lives of children in low-income communities and support AFT members who serve them. By combining First Book’s purchasing power with AFT’s strong network of educators, healthcare professionals and public employees, we’re ensuring that more students, families and communities have the resources they need to thrive. In 2021, AFT launched the Reading Opens the World Program campaign to spread the joy of reading and strengthening connections among families, educators, and communities by expanding access to books, literacy tips and tools and educational resources. Through this collaboration, First Book has distributed over more than 2.5 million books, contributing to a total of over nearly 11 million books throughout the lifetime of our partnership. https://firstbook.org/partner/aft/
NYSUT’s Social Justice department has been a strong proponent of First Book. Details of how they have helped members and locals distribute books to their communities can be found at https://www.nysut.org/resources/special-resources-sites/social-justice/first-book
As we all know that our colleagues who are still working are being pulled in many directions. They would appreciate any help retirees could provide. Please contact your local to see if they would be interested in your help in obtaining and distributing these books. To complete the FirstBook Form, use nysut.cc/firstbook
We all know how important reading is to student success! Let’s build on FirstBooks success in our region.