Winter Drive Community Partnership
During our Winter Membership Drive, we’re also having a Book Drive!
When you donate to WBHM, our partner Viva Health will make a donation to Better Basics. All of your donation stays at WBHM and also provides two new books to under-resourced children in our area. Donate right now.
WHAT IS BETTER BASICS?
Better Basics is a local nonprofit organization, founded in 1993, advancing children’s reading and mathematics literacy. Better Basics delivers a comprehensive range of research-based intervention and enrichment programs to children from birth to 12th grade through collaboration with public schools, partners, and community organizations in underserved areas. They also provide books and literacy outreach services directly to vulnerable communities in Central Alabama.
WHY IS BETTER BASICS IMPORTANT?
LITERACY IN ALABAMA:
- Alabama has one of the lowest literacy rates in the United States at 76% and ranks forty-third in the U.S.
- 79% of under-resourced children enter kindergarten not knowing all the letters of the alphabet.
- Under-resourced children not reading at grade level by the end of third grade 13 times less likely to graduate from high school.
- 60% of under-resourced families do not have a single children’s book in their homes.
BETTER BASICS COMMUNITY INITIATIVES
BOOKS FOR BIRMINGHAM
Better Basics provides books to children that are under-resourced. Many of the households served do not have reliable internet access, learning technology, or home libraries. With all the stress and uncertainty in the world, a new book provides a reading gift for a child and an opportunity for a bonding and soothing parent/child activity. Through partnerships with other community organizations, Books for Birmingham gave away over 4000 books to approximately 2700 Birmingham area children last year.
BOOK NOOKS
Better Basics places and dedicates Book Nooks in under-resourced areas of the metro-Birmingham area to serve communities with access to free books and to encourage reading. Our motto is, “Take a book; you don’t have to leave a book!” Better Basics maintains 28 Book Nooks in Jefferson, St. Clair, and Shelby counties.
DOLLY PARTON’S IMAGINATION LIBRARY
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library targets children from birth to five years of age in under-resourced neighborhoods. Better Basics facilitates and funds the distribution of a free, high-interest, age-appropriate book to the homes of almost 10,000 local children each month.
