In Honor of National Literacy Month, Reading Is Fundamental and Macy's Partner to Combat Nation's Literacy Crisis

WASHINGTON, Sept. 10, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- In honor of National Literacy Month and kids heading back to school, Reading Is Fundamental (RIF) and Macy's today announced the launch of new, free resources and digital tools to support the fight against the national literacy crisis. Together, RIF and Macy's are working to empower parents and educators with free resources that will help them meet the needs of children, foster their love of reading and learning, and provide students with the fundamental building blocks for success that literacy provides.

Going into its 16^th year, this partnership has impacted the lives of millions of children through national and local programs. To date, Macy's has contributed $40 million toward children's literacy with funding supporting the distribution of more than 14 million books, the creation of multi-cultural book collections, local literacy events, the development of digital platforms, and the creation of more than 10,000 supplemental literacy resources and tools.

"Back to school is a critical time for children and families," said Alicia Levi, President and CEO of Reading Is Fundamental. "Thanks to the incredible support of Macy's, Reading Is Fundamental can provide children with relevant and inspiring tools and resources to help them read and succeed." 

This year's support of Back-to-School and National Literacy Month encompasses supplemental classroom materials for the whole family and resources for literacy advocates, parents and caregivers. Students, educators and parents can take advantage of the following:

• Back to School Resources – RIF launched a newly created "Be Your Best You" collection, a Social Emotional Learning (SEL) collection that focuses on themes of confidence and empowerment. Through exercises and activities included in new educator guides and parent resources, students can learn critical skills tied to empathy, tolerance, resolving conflict, and mindfulness. This new collection is part of RIF's Literacy Central, the award-winning digital library which hosts over 10,000 resources directly tied to the books that teachers, caregivers and community partners turn to everyday.
• Building a Community of Readers – RIF's community of educators, parents, community and civic organizations, and local literacy advocates at schools and community centers continues to grow. Literacy Network, RIF's central portal with tools and resources needed for community stakeholders to take action and drive local literacy impact has launched new resources for back to school including, Read-aloud guides, tips to create literacy centers in classrooms, literacy insights, webinars, best practice case studies, volunteer guides and fundraising tool kits.
• Books for Ownership – The power of book ownership is a critical step to creating engaged and confident readers. As children head back to school, Macy's support of RIF's matching grant program will provide more than 255,000 books to 126,775 students in 44 states and Puerto Rico during the 2019/2020 school year.
• Thanks for Sharing Campaign – Macy's annual Thanks for Sharing campaign engages Macy's customers across the country to leverage purchases to support charity organizations. Through this campaign alone, Macy's is committed to raising $15M to support children's literacy and other critical causes.

"At Macy's giving back is in our DNA and we are committed to supporting the communities where our customers live and work," said Sam Harrison, Macy's Vice President of Cause Marketing. "Partnering with organizations like Reading Is Fundamental helps us to create impact in the lives of children every day."

About Macy's:
Macy's, the largest retail brand of Macy's, Inc. delivers fashion and affordable luxury to customers at approximately 650 locations in 44 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and Guam, as well as to customers in the U.S. and more than 100 international destinations through its leading online store at macys.com. Via its stores, e-commerce site, mobile and social platforms, Macy's offers distinctive assortments including the most desired family of exclusive and fashion brands for him, her and home. Macy's is known for such epic events as Macy's 4th of July Fireworks and the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, as well as spectacular fashion shows, culinary events, flower shows and celebrity appearances. Macy's flagship stores – including Herald Square in New York City, Union Square in San Francisco, State Street in Chicago, and Dadeland in Miami and South Coast Plaza in southern California – are known internationally and are leading destinations for visitors. Building on a more than 150-year tradition, and with the collective support of customers and employees, Macy's helps strengthen communities by supporting local and national charities giving more than $52 million each year, plus 153,000 hours of volunteer service, to help make a difference in the lives of our customers.

About Reading Is Fundamental:
Reading Is Fundamental (RIF) is committed to a literate America by inspiring a passion for reading among all children, providing quality content to create impact, and engaging communities in the solution to give every child the fundamentals for success.  As the nation's largest nonprofit organization for children's literacy, RIF has provided more than 416 million books to 50 million kids in all 50 states, inspiring generations to read, learn and grow.

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SOURCE Reading Is Fundamental