PoWeR! Book Bags
Final Grant Report for
Fiscal agent if applicant is not tax exempt:
Tax ID Number:
81-2406342
Contact First Name:
Contact Last Name:
Kara
Gregory
PO Box 533, Suttons Bay, MI 49682
Address:
Email:
231-343-0255
Phone Number:
Project Name:
PoWeR! Books Bags Charlevoix and Emmet Counties
Project start and end dates:
Friday, January 1, 2021
Friday, December 31, 2021
Amount Granted From Hestia:
$
1000
Project results and Impact
How many girls/women have been served by the project during this project year?
We estimate that PoWeR! Book Bags served just over 500 children at WRC (50) and WIC (450) last year, approximately 50% girls.
Our goal for 2021 was to distribute 2000 books and 500 book bags filled with literacy materials to approximately 250 children through Women’s Resource Center and the WIC program at health departments in Charlevoix and Emmet Counties at a cost of $7800.
The pandemic continued to wreak havoc and cause delays and changes in the way families were served and how often they came in for service. Federal mandates regarding how often mothers and children were required to visit the health department changed several times throughout the year causing families to check in less regularly and government monies sent to families ended causing more families to seek help. PBB successfully navigated these struggles with our partner agencies delivering 2400 new, high quality, age appropriate book and 800 book bags filled with literacy materials that encourage Playing, Writing and Reading.
Goal of the Project
Did you meet your program goals for the grant period?
If yes, how do you know? Please describe any program evaluation you use:
If no, please describe current barriers and how you are working to overcome them:
While it is not possible for PBB to measure reading proficiency changes or increases in vocabulary and literacy abilities among children who receive our materials, we distribute materials proven to encourage language and literacy development. The program was developed by our Founder and Executive Director who holds a PhD in Family and Child Ecology. Our program was developed based on research that shows human interaction and Playing, Writing and Reading positively impacts language and literacy development. This is why PBB distributes books AND book bags with items for play and materials for writing.
Because research shows that book ownership positively impacts language and literacy abilities and school readiness, one measurement we use to gauge success is the number of books distributed. In this case, 2400 books were delivered to 500 children through WRC and WIC, exceeding our plan.
Feedback from those who receive our materials is another way we measure impact along with feedback from the agencies we partner with to distribute literacy materials. When they ask us to come back year after year and/or expand service to meet the needs of more children, it speaks volumes.
Do you have a story of how your program positively changed participant's situation, behavior, or knowledge?
If so, please share it:
We have great stories to share!
Last summer we received a phone call from a mother of 3-year-old twin boys who received books during a winter visit to WIC. One of the books had colors and color words and she read it often to her boys. By summer they knew their colors and were beginning to recognize the words for the colors. She was blown away that we would be giving HER such beautiful books she could use to teach her boys. She felt very empowered by this!
During our recent annual review with the health departments, they told us they are grateful to receive our materials because mother’s are saying their children actually look forward to WIC visits now because they receive books and literacy materials at every visit! The health department believes having a continuous flow of materials from PBB is encouraging families to make visits more regularly.
Sustainability
Will this project continue?
If so, how will it be funded?
If not, why not?
PoWeR! Book Bags programs are designed to be ongoing so children have a continuous flow of new books and literacy materials over time, so yes, our programs in Charlevoix and Emmet Counties will continue and have expanded for 2022!
We are a volunteer driven organization that continually seeks grantors and individual donors to support our mission both financially and as volunteers to make the program ‘go’. To date for 2022, we have secured multi-county grants from Consumers Energy Foundation, Pennies from Heaven and ITC which Char-Em programs will receive a percentage of. We have also secured local grants for our work once again from Charlevoix Area Community Foundation and Petoskey-Harbor Springs Area Community Foundation. And, we have several pending grants to fund the balance of 2022 needs.
Since I have space, I’d like to clarify that the budget I provided last year was for all of Char-Em, not just Women’s Resource Center and WIC which focuses on women and children – so I will fill out the form accordingly but keep in mind the original budget for the WRC and WIC portion was $7800 and the entire Char-Em budget was $17,185.
Public Relations
How did you publicize this grant?
Please list any examples.
We at PoWeR! Book Bags are grateful for support from Hestia Women’s Giving Circle. It’s important to us to get the word out and thank our supporters. We publicized our generous award from Hestia supporting women and children via social media (Facebook, Instagram and Twitter), on our website (www.powerbookbags.com), press releases to The Petoskey News-Review and in a year-end thank you ad in The Weekly Choice.
We also acknowledge Hestia on the Welcome insert that goes in every book bag distributed in Charlevoix and Emmet County. This letter shares information about PBB, offers tips and websites to find information on language and literacy building and at the bottom, thanks those who contributions make the book and bag distribution possible.
Summary Comments
PBB thanks the women of Hestia for the great work you do in the community and for taking time to learn about PBB and taking an interest in and supporting our efforts to help the women and children in the Char-Em area.
It was a great year for us, more children served than we anticipated, more book and bags distributed and the expansion of programs! The addition of play groups and summer camps at Women’s Resource Center, the addition of MIHP and immunization clinics at the health departments and the addition of Beaver Island School is making for a busy 2022 already. The cost of materials has increased greatly. We are fortunate that Meijer supports us by offering ‘charity’ pricing on crayons and composition books, a saving us 70% off retail. The cost of books, especially the high quality books that we have been able to purchase at discount prices through large book brokers, has doubled. We continue to seek both local and national grantors to learn about and support PoWeR! Book Bags to keep that flow of books and literacy materials going for children. We hope Hestia is able to support us again in 2022 as well.
Grant Final Budget Form
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