November 2017 Updates

Northfield becomes Minnesota’s 2nd Bookend Community

We are proud to announce that Northfield has become the state’s 2nd Bookend Community (Fairmont was Minnesota’s first). To reach this milestone, 100% of all primary healthcare practices in the city must actively participate in the program. Cities with a population of 10,000+ are eligible for the Bookend Community Award, while cities whose populations are 50,000+ strive for the Bookend City Award.

Reach Out and Read Minnesota representatives Lynne Burke, Executive Director, and Karen Elhai, M.D., chair of the Board of Directors, presented the Bookend Community award to Northfield Mayor Rhonda Pownell and all the healthcare providers of Northfield on October 3, 2017 in Northfield’s City Council Chambers.

In the past year, three sites in Northfield welcomed the Reach Out and Read program: Northfield Hospitals and Clinics Northfield Clinic, HealthFinders Collaborative, and Allina Health Northfield. These clinics were supported in their efforts by the Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation and the Northfield Healthy Communities Initiative. They joined 247 active clinics in Minnesota, with more than 141,000 children participating – over 1/3 of all children ages 6 months through 5 years statewide.

Impact Report

This past year has been a big one for Reach Out and Read Minnesota! To make it easy for our supporters to see how we’ve grown we worked with graphic designer Ken Hoff, who volunteered his talents via the Taproot Foundation, to create a user-friendly infographic that shows our impact by region. Click here to see our very first Annual Impact Report!

Progress in Minneapolis

A year ago we began a campaign to make Minneapolis a Bookend City – the first in the state and the largest in the country. We planned to add three new clinics; we added four. We wanted to train 75 medical providers; 146 completed the training! We made five clinics more literacy-rich by upgrading their waiting areas and exam rooms with everything from alphabet decals to cozy corner book nooks. And we’re still not done.

Reaching the Bookend milestone is a daunting challenge – recruiting six new clinics and then getting all 33 clinics within the city limits to meet Bookend standards is the equivalent of making sure every student in class not only gets an A but hands in extra credit work.

Though we haven’t crossed the finish line yet, we are in the home stretch. A grant from the Grotto Foundation enabled Reach Out and Read Minnesota to improve all aspects of our work from provider engagement and resident training to book inventory management and program logistics. We are proud that our sites helped us develop tools and techniques that are being shared with the Reach Out and Read national network and eagerly anticipate reaching our goal in the not too distant future.

Giving Thanks

At this time of year when we pause to reflect on the progress we’ve made, at the top of our list is the realization that we wouldn’t be where we are without you. You are the strength that allows Reach Out and Read Minnesota to grow and thrive.

Whether you introduced our program to your community, held a book drive, committed to a monetary donation, are involved in the implementation of the program at your site, or just visited our website to learn more about our work - we are grateful. Your interest, enthusiasm, and support move our mission forward and make books and reading a part of every day for more than 140,000 young Minnesota children!

Visit our website to learn more about what’s been happening and click our donate button when the time is right for you.

Reach Out and Read Minnesota
4835 Queen Avenue South | Minneapolis, MN | 55410 US

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