November 22, 2009
The Red Clay Family Resource Fair was held yesterday at Conrad School of Technology, and of course Success Won’t Wait was in attendance! We were joined by Ashley McNeill, a Success Won’t Wait volunteer since 2002, who also happens to be Delmarva’s Angel. Ashley takes the title seriously and spent the day handing out hundreds of brand new books to children of all ages.
Many thanks to Red Clay Consolidated School District for creating such a fabulous event and to Ashley for spending the day with us.
Filed under 2009
Tags: literacy, library, Success Won't Wait, books, reading, learning, donate books, book drive, book donations, Ashley McNeill, Red Clay Family Resource Fair
November 19, 2009
SWW volunteers Don, Christine and Matt McNeill with Festival organizer Marian Daqui
Each year, Success Won’t Wait works with Delaware Hospice event organizers and provides new and very nearly-new books for sale at the Festival Gift Shop, where local merchants of all kinds donate fabulous goods and services for purchase by festival-goers.
This year, however, we’ve increased our participation and provided a full “library” of books to choose from. Exceptionally well priced at only $2 per book, these books cover a wide range of interests, genres, ages and authors. All proceeds will go to Delaware Hospice.
About the Festival of Trees
The annual Festival of Trees fundraiser for Delaware Hospice will be held on November 20-22. This annual event will be held again at the lovely Cokesbury Village retirement community in Hockessin, Delaware. The event is always eagerly anticipated by those looking for the latest fashions in “tree dressing” or those just looking for a fun afternoon’s entertainment, strolling amongst the lovely trees decorated by event sponsors.
A book for every interest!
About Delaware Hospice
Delaware Hospice is committed to being the leader in providing high quality hospice and palliative care to individuals with a limited life expectancy, along with their families and caregivers, and to serve as a community resource for end of life care.
Filed under 2009
Tags: book donations, book drive, books, Christine McNeill, donate books, learning, library, literacy, Matt McNeill, reading, Success Won't Wait
November 18, 2009
Last week, Penn Presbyterian Medical Center became the most recent hospital to receive books from Success Won’t Wait. At the request of Patient Family Liaison Shelly Flores, Success Won’t Wait provided a range of adult fiction, non fiction, children’s books, and inspirational stories like Chicken Soup for the Soul for the ICU waiting area.
Shelly had already started a fledgling “library” on her own, and the donation will greatly increase the number of books families have to choose from. Families of patients in ICU often have extended waiting periods and we hope that the books will be a welcome respite from their worries.
November 17, 2009
Longtime Success Won’t Wait volunteer Ashley McNeill recently won the Toys for Tots Sweetheart Award, for her coordination of the donation of over 2,500 brand new children’s toys, games, and of course, books. This is the third consecutive year Ashley has won the award and her preparations for the event usually begin in the summer.
The Toys for Tots collection benefits children in the DelMarVa area. Congratulations Ashley!
Filed under 2009
Tags: Ashley McNeill, book donations, book drive, books, donate books, learning, library, literacy, reading, Success Won't Wait, Toys for Tots
November 12, 2009
HandsOn Network and Disney Parks are celebrating the power of volunteerism with a brand new program entitled “Give A Day, Get A Disney Day.” Individuals and families who give their time to help improve communities will receive a free one-day ticket to a Disney theme park. The goal is to engage one million volunteers in service in 2010.
Who is eligible: Residents in the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico
How volunteers participate: Starting January 1, 2010, volunteers can go to www.disneyparks.com to search for volunteer opportunities made available through HandsOn Network, and sign up for a day of volunteer service.
How PVSA organizations participate: Any organization that is meeting a community need can collaborate with HandsOn Network in the Give A Day. Get A Disney Day. program. Go to http://cts.vresp.com/c/?PointsofLightFoundat/123516ba25/cf320fd18f/c5d21e29f7 to access terms and conditions, and to apply to become a partner for this program.
Program Dates: Jan. 1, 2010 – Dec. 15, 2010 HandsOn Network is the activator for this program with more than 250 HandsOn Actions Centers across the country in addition to 70,000 community-based partners such as food banks, homeless shelters, schools and faith-based organizations. If your organization is interested in participating in the “Give A Day. Get A Disney Day.” program, please visit http://cts.vresp.com/c/?PointsofLightFoundat/123516ba25/cf320fd18f/5e656ab84d.
Also, be sure to check out the frequently asked questions here: http://cts.vresp.com/c/?PointsofLightFoundat/123516ba25/cf320fd18f/f5f99c8594.
November 8, 2009
Ashley McNeill packs "swag bags" for Toys for Tots.
This year, the economy has impacted all of us. But none more so than the many charitable organizations who rely on donations from everyday citizens to continue their good works. That’s why this year, it’s more important than ever to donate what you can.
At Success Won’t Wait, we are once again working with Toys for Tots in Delmarva (Delaware-Maryland-Virginia) to make sure that children in need still have a magical holiday. Over the past 3 years, with the leadership of longtime volunteer Ashley McNeill, we’ve donated hundreds of brand new books and gifts.
We started out small — 50 packages in 2006 — then bumped it up to respectable 700 packages in 2007. And in 2008, we sent an amazing 800 packages! These packages each included several books, an occasional DVD, and a small gift like a bracelet, stuffed animal or small toy. We also solicited donations from toys manufacturers like the makers of You’ve been Sentenced! Twisted Fish and the Reader’s Digest Word Power Challenge, Beanie Babies from Ty, and several others.
Wrapping up DVD/book packs takes time!
Our Toys for Tots event is next week on November 14 and volunteer Ashley McNeill, along with her other recruits, has been busy getting ready. The count now stands at 416 — including inflatable sleds, “swag” bags (tote bags filled with books, t-shirts and more), and DVD/book packs. More work is planned for this week in her attempt to reach 1,000 gifts donated.
Will she make it? Visit after November 14 to see the final count!
November 6, 2009
In 2008, we completed a library installation for the Family Resource Center at AI duPont Children’s Hospital, which is a part of the world-renowned Nemours health system. This week, we started a wonderful partnership with a second part of the organization, Nemours Children’s Clinic, a single group practice with multiple locations in Wilmington and the Delaware Valley as well as Jacksonville, Orlando and Pensacola, Florida.
Today we provided the group with over 1,000 books as part of their ongoing effort to make early literacy a standard part of pediatric primary care. Following the Reach Out and Read model, Nemours pediatricians, family physicians and nurses advise parents that reading aloud is the most important thing they can do to help their children love books and to start school ready to learn. They also provide a brand new book during each pediatric visit.
But Nemours goes a step further! Not only do they provide books for patients, but for siblings attended the visit, as well. We were thrilled to donate books that will help promote children’s developmental skills and later school success!
Many thanks to PONY Book USA, whose continued support of Success Won’t Wait makes many of these great projects possible!
November 6, 2009
Visit us at the 3rd Annual Red Clay Consolidated School District Family Resource Fair! The event will be held on Saturday, November 21 from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM at Conrad Schools of Science. Conrad is located at Jackson Ave. and Boxwood Road in Wilmington, Delaware.
Bring the FAMILY and attend this FREE, fun-filled event! Make your child’s education a family project! Meet with school staff and get your questions answered Pick up information and resources to support your children’s learning and enhance academic achievement and student success.
- Learn to access the Home Access Center
- Exhibitors
- Displays
- Demonstrations
- Community Agencies and Resources
- Giveaways
- Refreshments
This event is sponsored and funded by the Red Clay Consolidated School District CGPAC. For more information, contact Chris Miller, Parent and Community Involvement Liaison at Christine.miller@redclay.de.us
http://www.redclay.k12.de.us/
November 6, 2009
These statistics were taken, in part, from official Reach Out and Read literature. According to their research, children who live in print-rich environments and who are read to during the first years of life are more likely to learn to read on schedule.
- 16% of parents of children age three years and younger do not read at all with their children, and 23% do so only once or twice a week.*
- Percentages are even lower among low-income families, whose children face the highest risk of literacy problems. Reading difficulty contributes to school failure, which increases the risk of absenteeism, leaving school, juvenile delinquency, substance abuse, and teenage pregnancy — all of which perpetuate the cycles of poverty and dependency.
- Families living in poverty often lack the money to buy new books, as well as access to libraries. Parents who may not have been read to as children themselves may not realize the tremendous value of reading to their own children.
- Educators and developmental psychologists have long considered reading aloud to children important in helping those children develop early literacy skills.
*Young, KT, Davis K, Schoen C, et al: Listening to parents. A national survey of parents with young children. Arch. Pediatr Adolesc Med 1998;152:255
October 28, 2009
The other day, I got a wonderful phone call! A gentleman named Jonathan Ross said he’s read about Success Won’t Wait and his firm wanted to donate 1,500 brand new children’s books to us, to help further our mission and fulfill the needs of the local community!
Jonathan is from WilBooks, which is located in nearby West Chester, Pennsylvania. Wilbooks provides educators with the high quality educational books they need — at the best possible price. In fact, over 50,000 schools use books from WilBooks! From pre-kindergarten through second grade, WilBooks offers numerous titles in English and Spanish including Larkin’s Little Readers, Mike’s Easy Readers, Abby’s Alphabet Books, Brain Busters, Joke Books and Photo Books. And their motto is close to my heart; according to official WilBook literature, “At Wilbooks, literacy is not just our business, it’s our passion.”
Thank you to everyone at WilBooks for truly caring about your local community and making a real difference in the lives of children throughout the tri-state area.
Filed under 2009
Tags: book donations, book drive, books, Bruce Larkin, Jonathan Ross, learning, literacy, reading, Success Won't Wait, Susan Conforte McNeill, WilBooks
The Red Clay Family Resource Fair was held yesterday at Conrad School of Technology, and of course Success Won’t Wait was in attendance! We were joined by Ashley McNeill, a Success Won’t Wait volunteer since 2002, who also happens to be Delmarva’s Angel. Ashley takes the title seriously and spent the day handing out hundreds of brand new books to children of all ages.
