National Library Initiative

JWI’s National Library Initiative (NLI) is working to establish 100 children’s libraries in homeless and battered women’s shelters across the United States.

For a woman fleeing an abusive relationship, the immediacy of danger often means leaving home with only her children and the clothes on their backs. To help ease this traumatic upheaval, the NLI transforms a basic shelter space into a library complete with furniture, hundreds of books, a computer and various comfort items – and it quickly becomes both an educational resource and a safe haven for the youngest victims of domestic violence.

Did You Know…

The only behavior measure that correlates significantly with reading scores is the number of books at home. An analysis of a national data set of nearly 100,000 U.S. children found that access to printed material – not poverty – is the “critical variable affecting reading acquisition.”

Jeff McQuillan, The Literacy Crisis: False Claims, Real Solutions, Portsmouth, New Hampshire: Heinemann, 1998.

How You Can Get Involved
The National Library Initiative is an ambitious undertaking, made possible by a partnership of dedicated volunteers, businesses and corporations. There are many ways to support the NLI:

  • Start a new library in your own community or anywhere in the United States.
  • Hold a fundraiser to restock bookshelves as a Library Ambassador. (This makes a great mitzvah project.)
  • Make a donation to enable JWI to open libraries in shelters on our waiting list.
  • Volunteer to help sustain a library near you. 

The resources are as vast as the community is generous.

An NLI Tribute Card makes a great gift to those who love reading, children and education. Contact Stephanie Beren at 800.343.2823 or sberen@jwi.org to send a card with a gift of $20 or more.
 
2000 M Street, NW Suite 720, Washington, DC 20036
800.343.2823 (ph) 202.857.1300 (ph) 202.857.1380 (fax)
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