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Opportunity Details

Celebrate Dr. King through Children's Literacy (age 6+) *MLK Weekend 2019*


Join us in honoring the legacy of Dr. King through meaningful service to our community: "Everybody can be great... because anybody can serve."
-- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.


About:
The book gap: For children in poverty, one of the biggest obstacles to literacy development (which begins at birth) is the scarcity of books in the home. While the ratio of books to children in middle-income neighborhoods is approximately 13 books to 1 child, the ratio in low-income neighborhoods is a mere 1 book to 300 children.

The Children’s Book Bank narrows the book gap by providing the community with a place for families donate the books their children have outgrown, moving thousands and thousands of children’s books into the homes of kids in need.

Project Description:
Volunteers will receive a brief orientation on how to sort and bundle books for distribution prior to the projects kickoff. Once you’ve learned about categorizing books by subject and guidelines for which books to include and which books don’t belong, you will begin to “sort and bundle.” Volunteers will sort cleaned books into categories and create the careful selections of books which are given to children throughout the community.

Sign up below to come lend a hand as we spruce-up community donated books which will later be distributed to low-income preschool children in the Portland area! Every gently-used donated book is inspected and cleaned by volunteers. Tasks include wiping covers, taping torn pages, erasing scribbles, covering inscriptions, and reinforcing worn spines. 

We are ADA accessible

FAQs: 
Is this a place I can bring my children? Young volunteers are welcome at Children’s Book Bank with parent help. Please follow the instructions below to reserve a spot for your child.

Can I bring books to donate? Yes, of course! You are welcome to bring either new or gently-used books with you to this volunteer event. The Children’s Book Bank serves children of all ages, so donations of “read aloud” and chapter books are greatly appreciated. Books in Spanish are a particular need.

Where do the books go? Children’s Book Bank partners with local agencies to identify families and children in need of books. Last year every Head Start preschooler in Multnomah County received a bag of 14 books of their own to have at home.

Keywords: free_the_future

Project Requirements:

  • Volunteers must be 6 years of age or older to attend this project; any volunteer under age 15 must attend with a parent or adult chaperone.

  • All volunteers under 18 are required to bring TWO waivers signed by their parent or legal guardian - one for Hands On and one for the Children's Book Bank. Please download, complete, and bring these waivers with you on the day of the project:

    Hands On Youth Volunteer Release Form 

    Children's Book Bank Youth Release Form

  • If you plan to bring children or guests you MUST reserve slots for them. The best way to do this is to create a Volunteer Team, then sign up your team for this project.

  • Team Captains are only able to reserve up to 50% of the spots on any individual MLK Weekend of Service Project. Team Captains are required to provide names and email addresses for each team member (over the age of 13) in order to hold spaces on a volunteer project or they may be removed from the project. Questions? Email teams@handsonportland.org

  • IMPORTANT NOTE: You are responsible for ensuring that everyone signed up through your team attends - only sign up team members who have confirmed their availability. Teams that repeatedly sign up, but do not show up or show up with fewer volunteers than they signed up, may be removed. To add or remove team members from a project, click on "My Account" and then "My Teams," above.

Click "Sign Up" below to reserve your spot!
Need help signing up? Call 503-200-3355. 

The opportunity date and time you are looking for is no longer available.
Children & Youth Education
Families, Low-income Communities, Other
Cleaning,Other,Collecting, Sorting & Packaging

Age Minimum (with Adult): 6+, Minimum Age:15+

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  • Choose an existing team you're already a member or captain of, or
  • Create a new team to sign up.

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