Yesterday was #GivingTuesday, a day to take a break from all the holiday shopping and give back to the causes that are most important to you. We asked our supporters to donate new books to the children of incarcerated parents who we serve through our Children of Prison Inmates program. We’re donating beautiful new books for our partnering prisons’ special family holiday events, in addition to the new children’s books each participating inmate is able to pick out for their kids at each literacy seminar. Our presenters visit the five prisons we serve in New Hampshire and Vermont, talk to inmates about reading with their kids, ways to make it fun and enjoyable for everyone, and how to connect with your kids through books and stories. They then get to pick out new books for their kids, grandkids, nieces and nephews, and CLiF’s amazing volunteers mail the books to the kids. Just imagine getting a special holiday gift from your parent whom you don’t get to see often.

98% of surveyed participants told us that these books have built stronger relationships with their kids, 97% said they are now more comfortable sharing books with their kids, and 91% said the CLiF program helped make their kids more interested in books (important, as children with a parent in prison are at-risk of developing low literacy skills and struggling in school).

The support of our generous donors gave 67 new books to children with an incarcerated parent yesterday. That’s 67 children who will get their very-own brand-new book as a special gift from Mom or Dad. We’ve heard many anecdotes about how children cherish these special books and read them together over the phone/Skype or during visits.

One participating parent wrote, “The efforts of all of you involved in these seminars have been successful in bringing a tremendous amount of joy to my family and we are very grateful for the blessing you all have given to us.”

Thank you to everyone who donated and shared this campaign on #GivingTuesday. You gave these families a meaningful gift and helped spark a love of reading and writing in kids who need it most. It’s not too late to make a donation towards this program. Thank you so much for your support!