We marked our one-year anniversary with great sadness in the wake of hundreds lives shattered by Hurricane Katrina, but with an even greater sense of responsibility and resolve. With over 200,000 children left homeless and on the move to shelters and new schools, on top of 1,000,000 children who seek safety at family homeless and domestic violence shelters at some point each year, often arriving without any possessions, as well as the thousands of teachers and other literacy agents in need of reading materials, the Magazine Publishers Family Literacy Project, and MagazineLiteracy.org are more compelling and timely than ever before.
Our mission is to match generous individual and business sponsors with literacy programs serving children in schools, shelters, and other community programs. We have worked hard over the past year to establish the relationships that empower us to succeed.
Thanks to generous supporters and wonderful literacy agents, we have launched programs that put magazines in childrens’ hands every month. We continue to add wonderful children’s magazines to our portfolio, so children in every age group can have access to every title available. The consumer magazine industry has been supportive with display advertising and invitations to participate in national conferences, where we can mobilize stakeholders. We have joined with the Association of Educational Publishers to promote Children’s Magazine Month in October each year.
So, although there is great sadness today, tomorrow brings opportunity and hope for marshalling the resolve and support and the generosity necessary to touch the lives of countless children hungry to read magazines. Join us. Thank you and godspeed.