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Who We Are
A program of Volunteer Richmond Information Services, the Richmond Christmas Fund offers
assistance to low-income families and individuals during the holiday
season. Everyone who registers with the Fund receives a grocery
voucher. In addition, children are provided with toys, games, and
books, and teens with gift cards.
The Christmas Fund Library*
Last year, the Christmas Fund helped nearly 2,000 Richmond
residents. Among them were 602 children. As mentioned above, they were
given toys, games, and grocery vouchers. Importantly - and we take
great pride in this - each child also received at least one book.
Reading opens up new worlds and new opportunities. If ever there was
a gift that keeps on giving, it's the Gift of Literacy. Which is why,
every year, we stock the Christmas Fund library with a mix of
children's classics and bestsellers - books that have stood the test
of time, or are currently popular. Our philosophy is simple: the best
way to foster a love of reading is to make sure all children,
regardless of income, have access to books they want to read.
We're lucky that the community is incredibly generous - and
thoughtful - in this regard. When books are donated to the program,
they're always of the highest quality - books that any child would be
delighted to receive as a present. To ensure that this year's
Christmas Fund library is fully-stocked, however, we can't rely only
on donations. We'll also have to purchase many books ourselves. And
that's where we need your help.
* We call it the Christmas Fund library, but we should clarify
that there isn't any borrowing involved. Instead, parents select
books from our collection to give to their children as gifts.
Why We're Crowdfunding
Last year, in addition to 602 children, the Christmas Fund provided
assistance to 184 teenagers (who each received a grocery voucher and a
gift card). Combine those numbers - children and teenagers - and you
get 786.
Which brings us to the reason why we're crowdfunding. In 2014, we
want to make sure that not only every child, but also every teenager,
receives a book. Books for children and young adults vary in price,
but on average cost about $15. So, based on our calculations ($15 x
786), we'll need to raise $11,790.
We've never crowdfunded before, so we're not sure if that's an
unrealistic goal. We do, however, believe it's a worthwhile one.
Hopefully you think so, too!
Thanks for checking this out, and if you choose to make a donation,
then an even bigger thank you! We'll be posting updates as the
campaign progresses, so be sure to check back regularly!
Learn More About the Christmas Fund
Other Ways You Can Help
2014 Christmas Fund Events
Calendar
I Gave. Will You? Campaign
2014 Registration Information