Mid-Columbia Reading Foundation

News and Events

RBC WEALTH MANAGEMENT AWARDS $3000 GRANT TO MCRF

The RBC Dain Rauscher Foundation awarded the Mid-Columbia Reading Foundation a $3000 grant earlier this month to support general operations.  RBC Wealth Managerment, an international financial consultant and investment firm, has an office in the Tri-Cities headed by MCRF Board Member Brad Fisher, who encouraged and supported the grant application.

"RBC Wealth Management is an investment firm.  Early reading programs like those of the Mid-Columbia Reading Foundation are a sound investment in our children and in the future of our community and our country, so our support for them is a natural," said Fisher.   

RBC Wealth Management Senior Vice-President / Branch Manager, and MCRF Board Member Brad Fisher (below, right) presents the $3000 grant award check to MCRF Executive Director Marc Harden at the MCRF offices.

2007 Annual Report To The Community

2007REPORT TO THE COMMUNITY 

ADVOCACY/MESSAGE 

• Utilized more than $75K in media in-kind donations, including space provided by the Tri-City Herald, to promote “Read with a child…the most important 20 minutes of your day.”
• Produced and aired a series of new public service radio ads in conjunction with ClearChannel Radio.  Participated in a radio talk-show on early reading produced by Clear Channel radio which was aired throughout the state. 
• Appeared on weekly radio shows during the summer months on KONA radio to promote early reading and the Sun Mart Reading Van program.
• Worked with students at Tri-Tech Skills Center to produce and air a series of six early reading ads on their student-run radio station. 
• Provided early reading materials to 300 parents in conjunction with E.S.D. 123 Title I Parent Conference.
• Provided read-aloud information to parents of children attending local children’s programs including: Head Start, Early Head Start, Boys and Girls Club, Y.M.C.A., Early Childhood Education Assistance Program, and the Washington State Migrant Council.   
• Coordinated reading messages on local business, school, and government reader boards during holiday and summer breaks.
• Produced three new early reading brochures for distribution to parents and caregivers.
• Produced, in conjunction with Lockheed-Martin Information Technologies, a fundraising and informational video on the work on the Mid-Columbia Reading Foundation.
• The early reading message continues to be seen throughout the community on the Ben-Franklin Story Bus.
• Provided informational booths at numerous community events, including:  Hispanic Academic Achievers Program, African-Americans for an Academic Society, Kids & Baby Expo, B-F Health Department Safe Kids Events, Movies on the River, and various family reading night events at local schools.

 PROGRAMS 

• Coordinated volunteers for the Ben-Franklin Story Bus at community events such as First Night, Safe Kid’ Coalition Spring into Safety, Dia de Los Ninõs, and the West Richland Harvest Festival. 
• Partnered with R.E.I., the City of Richland, and the Benton-Franklin Volunteer Center to promote Earth Day and provide books to classrooms participating in campus cleanups. 
• Provided “First Teacher Libraries” to 23 new K-3 teachers in local schools (supported by Qwest and Pasco-Kennewick Rotary). 
• Supported kindergarten readiness programs and family reading nights at nine (9) local schools by providing give-away books and early reading literature and presentation.  
• Partnered with Sun Mart and the Sun Mart Reading Van to provide summer reading programs for children and early reading modeling for parents at six (6) apartment complexes and locales in Pasco, Kennewick, and Burbank. 
• Provided summer reading programs in partnership with four (4) McDonald’s restaurants in Prosser, Pasco and Kennewick, serving 2,220 children (a 300%+ increase over 2006) over a 10 week period.
• Held three (3) “Moms and Muffins” early reading programs at Phoenix Manor in Pasco (supported by Starbucks, Road 68). 
• Began a young parent mentoring program in partnership with B-F Health Department’s “Safe Babies, Safe Moms” program. 
• Partnered with Catholic Family and Child Services to provide early reading training at parenting classes (both voluntary and court mandated). 
• Partnered with READY! for Kindergarten to pilot delivery of the READY!  program to teen mothers participating in the Tri-Tech teen parent program.  Secured funding from Columbia Center Rotary to continue program through 2008 and expand to a similar program sponsored by Catholic Family and Child Services.
• Provided early reading resources and modeling to local child care providers in partnership with Department of Early Learning. 
• Promoted and participated in “Read Across America” day. 
• Presented early reading programs to parents at CBC and WSU Tri-Cities. 
• Coordinated a story time for ECEAP children presented by students from Kennewick’s alternative education center (sponsored by Yokes). 
• Held the second annual Mid-Columbia Children’s Book Writing and Illustrating contest in partnership with Barnes and Noble and the Tri-City Herald, as a part of Lit Fest 2007. Entries increased from twenty-seven in 2006 to ninety (90) in 2007.   
• Partnered with Barnes & Noble Booksellers for the annual Holiday Book Drive, collecting 2,017 new books for distribution to needy children. 
• Partnered with Young Life, Community 1st Bank, McDonald’s, and the Three Rivers Convention Center to hold the first “Breakfast with Santa” program as part of the “Festival of Trees.” 
• Administered local First Book programs. 
• Piloted a “McDonald’s Reading Challenge” at Eastgate Elementary School, co-sponsored by McDonald’s (Adams Enterprises). 
• Participated in the Born Learning Washington as a member of the state Advisory Committee. 
• Partnered with Benton-Franklin Head Start and the Mid-Columbia Library System to successfully compete for $120,000 “Reading Readiness grant from the Department of Early Learning to provide improved outreach to our Hispanic Community in 2008.

  RESOURCES TO CHILDREN AND FAMILIES 

• Distributed 27,813 free books to children in the Mid-Columbia (retail value in excess of $110K). 
• Provided free books to local children’s programs including: Head Start, Early Head Start, Boys and Girls Club, Y.M.C.A., and the Washington State Migrant Council.  
• Provided mothers and newborns at Kadlec Medical Center, Kennewick General Hospital, and Lourdes Medical Center with their first book through the Books for Babies program supported by FLUOR.
• Partner with La Clinica’s W.I.C. and the Benton-Franklin Health Department’s Home Health programs to provide free books to families with children.
• Placed bookshelves and books in eight community service agencies (Kids Haven; Safe Harbor Crisis Nursery; Cork’s Place; La Clinica; Grace Clinic;  B-F Health Department; YMCA; and Boys and Girls Club).  The bookshelves were built and donated by “Toys for Kids,” a local group of woodworkers. 
• Held six (6) community book drives in conjunction with the Tri-City Dust Devils, Tri-City Americans, and Washington’s Lottery.

 OTHER 

• Revised organizational by-laws and re-organized Board of Directors into a “working board” and an “advisory board.” 
• Restructured organizational funding plan and held first annual “View the Future” fundraiser.

 MAJOR FUNDERS ($5000+) 

• Tri-City Herald
• Sun Pacific Energy
• Fluor
• Adams Tri-City Enterprises
• Banner Bank
• Bechtel
• Clear Channel Radio
• Columbia Center Rotary

 SIGNIFICANT SUPPORTERS ($1000 - $4999) 

• US Bank
• Apollo
• Bruce, Inc
• Copiers Northwest
• Target
• Qwest Foundation
• Barnes & Noble Booksellers
• Sunrise Rotary
• Pasco-Kennewick Rotary
• Dean and Helen Mitchell
• Thrive By Five, Washington

Children's Author Stephen Cosgrove Visits Eastgate Elementary

Popular and prolific children' author Stephen Cosgrove will visit Kennewick's Eastgate Elementary School on Thrusday, March 28.  Cosgrove, who has authored more than 325 books, including the popular Bugg Book series, attended both Eastgate Elementary and Park Middle Schools in Kennewick.

He was invited by Ms. Kim Berna's second grade students (from the 2006-7 academic year) who learned he had attended their school after they read several of his books last year and explored his internet sites.  The children wrote a letter inviting the famous author and he accepted.

Mr. Cosgrove, who now resides and creates in San Antonio, Texas, has also developed a "safe haven, kid-friendly" web site featuring interactive reading activities.

A community reception will be held Thursday, March 27 at the Clover Island Inn from 4:30 to 6:00 PM. Mr Cosgrove will also visit Eastgate Elementary throughout the day on Friday,  March 28, speaking with each class.

Every child in the school will receive a gift of a Stephen Cosgrove book, courtesy of the Mid-Columbia Reading Foundation, Friends of the Mid-Columbia Library, and the Kiwanis Club of the Horse Heaven Hills.