Alyssa Cares Foundation

It has been a while since we posted as sometimes we wonder if people get tired of seeing smiling children holding brand new books. We just received a packet with letters from a third grade class that we visited and one letter touched us immensely. Here it is:

"Dear Alyssa Cares,
Thank you for visiting us and thank you for letting us choose a book. Now, I love to read to my brother and to myself. My Mother is also reading my books and now she knows how to speak English. I hope you can come next year so that I can teach my baby brother."

To this I might add my favorite Mother Theresa quote:

"We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop."

Thank you Alyssa for showing us what love means during those years you were with us.

Although we haven't posted in a while, doesn't mean we haven't been busy. This week we will be wrapping up our school visits before the holidays. We have also recently donated personalized "Little Free Libraries" to some of our recipient schools. These will be placed in the schools, so that the children can share their books with others once they are done reading them - give a book/take a book. Just another great tool in the literacy toolbox to spread the love of reading!

One of the most heartwarming testimonials we have received from a principal at one of our recipient schools:

Dear Alyssa Cares,

"It is important that I take this time to let you know how much you mean to me and to the young scholars at Paris Elementary. Alyssa Cares is not just another organization that comes in to "rescue the poor children", you are truly a part of the Paris Family. Your core values clearly align with ours and the relationship that you are developing with our staff and our young scholars is more than one of one non-profit helping another.

The students light up when they know its an Alyssa Cares Day and they practically attack me in their enthusiasm to share their new books with me. I know these books are important to them because they are reading them every chance they get! At Paris, we have worked hard to increase our culture of literacy as well as foster the academic identities of our students. Alyssa Cares develops these same traits and that is when we say "yes" to organizations coming in to our school: when they help us achieve our goals of Raising All Students' Achievement, Creating a Positive School Community, and Fostering a Warm and Welcoming Environment. Alyssa Cares works alonside us to support us reaching all of these goals by allowing students choice in the books they choose, greeting each child and staff member, and by building the love of reading in each child through their own passion for children and rich literature.

While words could never express how much you mean to our community and our children, I say "Thank You" from the bottom of my heart and look forward to working together for many years to come.

For the Love of Reading and in Deep Grattitude
Tammy Stewart, Principal
Paris Elementary