Before I get to our official Charity of the Month and since we have many fellow TwilightMOMS affected by the hurricanes this time of year, I thought it necessary to give a shout out to the American Red Cross. I would like to thank our own taracullensince2008 for the suggestion.

In a recent press conference, the ARC stated that they were low on funds but that they would continue to support affected areas as well as their other initiatives as best they can.

It would be wonderful if we could all contribute at this time. To donate to the hurricane relief efforts go to http://www.redcrossla.org/donations

Thank you.


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Our official September Charity of the Month is First Book.



Your first book - a portal to another place or another time or even someone else's mind, where your imagination was set loose to run wild and where new discoveries were made and adventures could be enjoyed over and over again. Priceless magic, indeed! Not only does literacy open imaginary doors, it opens the doors to a child’s future.

We TwilightMOMS know the power of books! For some of us, Twilight rekindled our love for reading and for the more avid readers, it was a bright star in our galaxy. Sadly, there are still so many more who miss out on this magic simply because the love for reading was never sparked in early childhood.


“Access to books and educational material is the single biggest barrier to literacy development in the United States and beyond. If we can solve the problem of access, we will be well on the road to realizing educational parity – a goal which has eluded this country for generations.” - Susan B. Neuman, Ph.D. University of Michigan, Ctr. for Improvement of Early Reading Achievement


Joan Sahlgren, Vice President of Communications at First Book, gave us some great information regarding literacy statistics and what their organization is doing to improve them:

“Research confirms there is one book for every 300 children in low-income families. And, that over 80 percent of preschool and after-school programs serving these children have no age-appropriate books.



If children don’t learn to read, the impact on their lives and on society as a whole is profound. In cities and towns across the nation, in rural and urban communities, citizens depend on civic participation, employable workers, low crime rates, and good health care for their families. When illiteracy rates are high, opportunities for a productive life are limited:

• Among adults at the lowest level of literacy proficiency, 43% live in poverty. Among adults with strong literacy skills, only 4% live in poverty.

• The U.S. Census Bureau reports workers over 18 without high school diplomas earn $18,734; those with a diploma earn $27,915 and those with a bachelor's degree earn $51,206 a year.

• 85% of juvenile offenders in correctional facilities have reading problems.

First Book provides new books to children in need, addressing one of the most important factors affecting literacy – access to books. An innovative leader in social enterprise, First Book has distributed more than 60 million free and low cost books in thousands of communities.
By removing the barriers to book ownership and providing children with books they can take home and keep, First Book makes a compelling difference. Studies show that once children begin receiving books from First Book, their interest in reading more than triples.


First Book finds children in existing literacy programs through underserved schools, youth centers, shelters, housing projects, daycare centers and other community-based initiatives as well as preschool and afterschool programs, improving the quality of programs by providing a steady stream of high quality books and educational resources. Programs serving children in need may register with First Book at http://register.firstbook.org/

A Child’s First Book. Just $2.50 provides a brand new book for a child. Your donation means a lot. Visit http://www.firstbook.org today .




Support First Book. Choose a READ design at http://www.cafepress.com/first_book/ and 100% of net proceeds benefit First Book. Below are some of the products available.



Or there are I See Me! Personalized children’s books in their online store like the one here, My Very Own FairyTale:



When you use free shipping code FSJ11435A , $10 will be donated to First Book.


For more information about the nonprofit First Book please visit http://www.firstbook.org or call 866-393-1222.

2 wonderful causes. I have visited First Books web site many times, great organization. And the American Red Cross is an institution that is always there to help in any crisis.