United Way Hosts 10th Children’s Book Drive

The Children’s Book Drive is a collaborative effort between United Way of Rhode Island, Women United, and Books Are Wings to engage local businesses, community organizations, individuals, and families in fostering a love of reading, while encouraging children to build their own libraries at home.

This will be our tenth year collecting books. Over the past nine years, we’ve put 245,766 books into the hands of children statewide.

This year’s book drive will take place in April and May, ending just in time for summer learning. Individual collections can run for any length of time during that period — a few days, a few weeks, or the full two months.

• Children who aren't proficient in reading by the end of third grade are four times less likely to graduate from high school than proficient readers, profoundly affecting their future earnings.
• Rhode Island Comprehensive Assessment System (RICAS) 2020 - 2021 grade 3 data reported that 40.4 percent of all students met or exceeded expectations in reading skills. Among students from low-income households, only 22.6 percent met expectations. Among Black students, 23.7 percent met expectations, and among Hispanic students, only 22.8 percent met expectations. Source: RIDE, www3.ride.ri.gov/ADP#
• Children in low-income families have fewer reading materials, and many have zero books at home. Early access to books is critical to successful reading development, and summer reading can help close the reading achievement gap.

Books will be distributed at Books Are Wings programs and summer partner sites. Learn more about United Way's education priorities. 

New and gently used books for children — from babies to middle school — are welcome. We are NOT able to accept adult books, cookbooks, reference books, textbooks, workbooks, discarded library books, or mildewed/damaged books.

Companies can give employees the option to order books through Amazon. Employees can choose one of their favorite books or order from Books Are Wings’ Wishlist and have them shipped directly to Books Are Wings.

Copy paper boxes with lids are ideal — they’re free, eco-friendly, and stackable for easy storage.

Rhode Island

Statewide

• Centreville Bank — all branches
• Pawtucket Credit Union — all branches
• Shaws — all markets (April 8 - May 25)
• Washington Trust — all branches (May 1 - 19)

East Providence

• East Providence Public Library, 41 Grove Avenue, East Providence, RI 02914

Pawtucket

• Books Are Wings, 1005 Main Street #711B, Pawtucket, RI 02860

Providence

• United Way of Rhode Island, 50 Valley Street, Providence, RI 02909
  Tuesdays until May 24

West Warwick

• Cardi's Furniture & Mattresses, 1681 Quaker Lane, West Warwick, RI 02893

Westerly

• Savoy Bookshop and Café, 10 Canal Street, Westerly, RI 02891

Massachusetts

Cardi’s Furniture & Mattresses, 999 Newport Avenue South, Attleboro, MA 02703

Cardi's Furniture & Mattresses, 1 Furniture Way, Swansea, MA 02777

We have a customizable communications toolkit, including posters, flyers, and social media content. Contact bookdrive@unitedwayri.org to let us know you're hosting a drive, and we’ll email the materials to you.

Book Pickup Day is scheduled for Wednesday, May 25. For companies that are partners in United Way’s annual workplace campaign, we will pick up your books when your drive has ended. Let us know how many books you’ve collected and we’ll schedule a time for pickup.

Not a campaign partner? Please drop off your books at United Way on Tuesdays from April 12 - May 24. Contact bookdrive@unitedwayri.org to schedule a drop-off time.

Day of Action is a worldwide United Way event, offering volunteer opportunities focused on the work of local United Way organizations. In Rhode Island, the Day of Action will be held on June 4 to sort, label, and prepare the books for distribution to children in afterschool and summer learning programs.

Sign up at uwriweb.org/DayofAction2022 or contact volunteer@unitedwayri.org.