Calling All High Schoolers!

After an overwhelmingly successful summer 2012 high school internship program, that even landed us the cover of Society Charlotte Magazine, we have decided to expand our effort and double if not triple the program for the summer of 2013. If you know a high schooler who is interested in having an incredible experience giving back to his or her community in a direct fashion, please encourage him or her to apply for our hands-on internship program. Interns will follow those books from intake, through the warehouse where they are sorted, cleaned, stamped, wrapped and labeled, all the way to putting that book into a child's hand and reading one-on-one with them. We expect quite a large and competitive application pool so don't delay, apply today!



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Uncharted Territory- Promising Pages Book Fair

                                             A Brave New World

Co-Founder Greg Goeke with a non-baby, baby book

"To give or to sell," that is the question. The idea of selling off some of our books is new territory for us. We know that other non-profit organizations do the same, but for us, it was kind of a tough "sell" to swallow. "I thought Promising Pages gave free books to kids?" said the voice in my head. It's true, we do give free books-- to kids. Then what to do with the nearly 10,000 books for adults that have been clogging our warehouse since this past summer? Do first graders like travel books and Wine for Dummies? I think not.

As much as I knew that this day would come eventually, it wasn't until we partnered up with Woody Hubbard and Tim O' Boyle and their Executive MBA team from Queens University that not only were my fears about selling off some of my books were alleviated, the concept was actually encouraged. "This is a business," they told me firmly. "Do you want your business to grow so you can help more kids, or do you want to keep putzin' along only helping a few kids because you are too afraid to bring in revenue? Revenue is a part of your job."

Sorting for Book Fair

So beginning December 1, I will no longer be the 'starving artist' type, the give-a-few-kids-a-few books type. 40,000 books have come through our warehouse at Carolina Business Interiors since January, but that's not enough. We have orders we can not fill. For example, currently we are out of first and second grade follow up books. Yet we know there are 60,000 kids in our area with few, if any books at home. It's time for me and the rest of the Promising Pages team to get serious, and that means raising money for our organization! Our goal is to collect and redistribute one million books so that all kids in Charlotte can have a bookshelf full of books at home and all children in Charlotte will grow up with a love and appreciation of books, which brings healthy brain activity and healthy self  esteem.

From a business standpoint, the concept makes perfect sense. We are already out there in the community collecting children's books every day. Why not collect all books and sell the ones we can't use for our programs?  Thank you again, Queens team. We have found people are happy to let go of their twice read, taking-up-too-much-space novels when they learn it is going to such a worthy cause.

The Sandbox Co-Founder Mara Campolungo

So folks, clean off your book shelves and donate what you no longer read. Bring those books to our book fair on December 1st and 2nd at the Carolina Business Interior warehouse on Yancey Rd. Bring the kids, we'll have story time with Erm and Erma the Bookworm(a)s. Check out our limited Edition "Magic Reading Totes"gems and turn ordinary books in to Magic Books. (A perfect gift for any young reader!) Browse the Sandbox Boutique and help us support yet another great Charlotte cause (www.gotsandbox.org.) Don't forget to bring in a canned food item or two for The Sandbox Holiday food drive. When you done with all this giving and shopping, refresh your palette with Amalie's French Bakery goodies generously donated to support our cause. Enjoy your new books and sweet treats in our Promising Cafe!

We look forward to meeting you in person. Thank you for supporting our One Million Books Revolution Campaign and for helping us change the world, one child and one book at a time. If you see me, give me a wink. It will be a personal reminder of your support, not only of our book mission, but of the marketing plan that will be driving it. Speaking of driving, take a "spin" and get your picture taken in our Magic Book Mobile, it's just a mock up now but one day soon it will be a reality. I just know it.

                                                     Go forth, buy books and prosper!

-Kristina Cruise
Founder, Promising Pages

Charlotte Creates Entrepreneurship

Everyone in and around Charlotte knows the DNC took front and center the week of September 3rd. Here at Promising Pages we are a  non-partisan non-profit and we LOVE to volunteer. Our leadership team decided our volunteer hours should be spent helping out in the many various aspects and undertakings of such a historic, and for Charlotte, unprecedented event.   

Last week I had the pleasure of volunteering with Charlotte Creates at Packard Place. Packard Place is one of the most unique organizations in the Charlotte area.  According to their website, "Packard Place is the hub for entrepreneurship and innovation in Charlotte.  Our mission is to develop fast-growth businesses and the professional community to drive them."  The businesses involved with Packard Place are divided into five specific areas including Technology, Design, Energy, Social Entrepreneurship, and Art. Several of the businesses associated with Packard Place were there to present who they were and what they do as a part of Packard Place.  

The first group I encountered was part of the Social Entrepreneurship hub of Packard Place.  The group was called Second Helping.  It is a coffee shop which employs women recently released from prison.  Melissa Mummert, Program Director for Second Helping said, “In an economy where finding employment is already challenging, women who come home from prison face an even more severe challenge as a result of discrimination against people who have criminal backgrounds.”  Second Helping is helping to change the lives of women in the Charlotte community just like Promising Pages is doing for the children we encounter. 

The next business who left a lasting impression was Eventys.  Eventys is part of the Design group at Packard Place.  It is a company that is a source for invention.  They have a website which allows people to propose an invention they think could be taken to market.  Eventys has scientists who partner with the inventor to get the invention to market.  Once to market Eventys shares the profits with the inventor 50/50.  The company has started the award-winning television show Everyday Edisons.  

One of the technology companies presenting at Packard Place was T1Visions.  T1Visions is a company trying to revolutionize the way we use touchscreen technology.  The product they were displaying was called Social Connect Touchscreens.  It is a video monitor which enabled four to eight individuals to gather around a desk with individual laptops and share documents to one common screen. The desk also has touchscreen capability to move documents or items from the web.  According to President Mike Feldman,  "Teams can connect, share, and learn using an intuitive, multitouch user interface.  Meetings become more efficient, information is highly accessible, and presentations are engaging."  T1Visions has a prototype being used on campus of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.  

The most memorable portion of Charlotte Creates was several Random Acts of Culture.  About once per hour there was a different group who would come in and perform some type of artistic expression.  One performance was a group of four ladies who did a dance which seemed to be a mixture of rhythmic gymnastics and yoga.  Another performance was a lady singing the popular Adele song "Someone Like You."  The song was interrupted with a few poems speaking about empowering women.  


Charlotte Creates at Packard Place was a very unique experience which showed off some of the best of what Charlotte has to offer. Although of business of brining books to children in Charlotte never stopped behind the scenes the week of the DNC, it was good to get out and mingle with other like-minded folks who also want to better our community and leave a long lasting mark.  I appreciate the opportunity to be a part of this and to meet so many intelligent people and their entrepreneurial spirit.  

- Mitchell Sharp

A Touch of Elevation

It was a beautiful Saturday morning like many that we have had in Charlotte as of late, but this Saturday wasn’t like others because our Promising Pages warehouse was buzzing with chatter and young teens were busy at work.  On August 25^th we had 100 teenagers from Elevation church come and volunteer at our warehouse.  It was the largest crowd that we have ever hosted, and all that we were able to accomplish exceeded all our expectations. 

         Elevation Church began just over six years ago with less than 20 people. In just a few short years, they have grown to over 10,000 in regular attendance.  The church has dedicated itself to giving back to the community in the form of “Elevation Outreach.”  We were lucky enough to be a part of the major initiative as we were one of the organizations that Elevation came to volunteer with.  In total, they had over 1,000 teens throughout the city volunteering!    

         When the teens arrived there was an instant burst of energy throughout the warehouse.  We had 4 stations set up and they all jumped at the opportunity to complete various tasks to help us out.  The supplies were all laid out for them and once they were given directions the magic began to happen. 

         In our carpet station artistic volunteers were able to decorate carpet squares that will be placed in classrooms after we host our signature "Magic Book Parties."  These “Magic Carpets” will be used as reading corners for children.  It will be an incentive so whenever a student is having a good day they get the opportunity to go and read on the carpet that is decorated with our mascot, "Erm the Book Worm."  By using it as a reward system it will allow the kids be reminded of their encounter with our program and the underlying lesson which is that reading is fun and exciting, and that in doing so they can be anything they want to be when they grow up. 

       Our bookmark station was a major hit and our volunteer’s creativity was truly exhibited. Instead of throwing away books that are in such poor condition that we are unable to give them away, we recycle their pages.  These pages are then used to make specialized collage bookmarks for the kids.  The Elevation teens really enjoyed this activity and their faces lit up once they were able to see their finished laminated product.  The bookmarks also included positive messages such as “Reading Rocks” and “Reading is Cool” that the kids always love to see.

        One of our most innovative stations was the wrapping paper section.  We used large white butcher paper and the teens were able to decorate it.  After they were decorated with beautiful images, inspiring quotes, and other various colorful doodles we rolled it up and will later use it to wrap books for the kids.  In the past, kids have loved the personal wrapping paper so much that they carefully opened their books and kept the paper!

       Our final station allowed the teens to clean and wrap the books.  The teens quickly caught on to our specialized technique.  They quickly grasped how precious all our resources are to us, and they made sure to use all the supplies sparingly while still producing quality work.  These are the same books that will bring smiles to so many children in our community.  The entire event was an inspiration to myself and the rest of the Promising Pages staff.  These teens were not only selfless enough to take the time out of their day to come and help us, but they put thought in everything they were doing.

 

Seeing all the work that happens behind the scenes to present quality books to kids, who are our most innocent members of society, reaffirmed my thoughts on this organization.  This was my first major event with Promising Pages and I left that day with a huge smile on my face.  I know that I am now a part of something that is so much greater then myself and the rest of us here at Promising Pages.  I am a part of a movement that is working to be the change that it wishes to see in this world.

Have a great and blessed week!

-Sandrine Uwera