Book Harvest

Our Mission Books for every child. Support for every parent. Literacy for every community. Book Harvest works to realize a world of literacy and justice for all—a world in which every child grows up with an abundant home library from birth and with a love of books, reading, and learning, and every parent feels supported, celebrated, and affirmed in their role as their child's first teacher. Since 2011, children have harvested more than 3 million books to build their home libraries, ensuring that parents have the tools and power to ignite and strengthen their children's literacy. Our Vision Literacy and justice for all. One day, every child will grow up with a love of books, reading, and learning, equipped with the language and literacy tools to thrive in school, work, and life. What We Believe With programs grounded in evidence, Book Harvest believes that literacy starts at birth, in the home, powered by parents, and nourished with books. Home Libraries are Fundamental to Literacy: Having a home library from birth is necessary to children's literacy development and lifelong success. Vocabularies flourish. Empathy thrives. Curiosity ignites. Children learn. Literacy Starts at Birth: Parents and caregivers are their children's first and most important brain builders, teachers, advocates, and nurturers. Simple activities woven into everyday interactions between parent and child build the foundation that lasts a lifetime. Summer is Critical: Summer is a critical time for students to retain their learning gains from the school year. Students from low-income homes don't have equitable access to books. Parents Make a Difference: We must equip parents with a starter home library, to ignite literacy for their newborn from day one. Our Core Values All children have the right to own books from birth. Parents know what is best for their children and are passionately committed to their success. All children are born with the ability to succeed. Books must serve as "mirrors, windows and sliding glass doors" for all children, honoring diverse backgrounds, languages, abilities, and perspectives. We CAN create the world our children deserve through collective goodness and collective action. We are committed to research and continuous self-assessment. Our Story Chapter One of Book Harvest's story began in 2011. The setting was a dusty garage filled with donated books, and the cast of characters was small—just a handful of quirky dreamers eager to join Founder Ginger Young in unlocking book ownership and a love of a good story for children in Durham, North Carolina. From those humble origins, Book Harvest's story has been written with a momentum that could have never been imagined—from a few boxes of donated books in a garage to more than 3 million books harvested by children and families. With 15 years of experience, Book Harvest is now expanding its mission and impact beyond its flagship community of Durham, bringing what it knows to other communities across the country. Now more than ever—when less than half of all U.S. children who live in poverty enter kindergarten ready to learn—it is an imperative. Our Impact More than 3 million Book Harvest books have been harvested by children since 2011. Books are the catalyst for robust vocabularies, empathy, curiosity, and creativity—and the foundation for a lifelong love of reading. It's an impact that is transforming lives, book by book.

• Ginger YoungFounder and Chief Executive Officer
• Jillian BuckleyProgram Manager and Executive Assistant to the CEO
• Jeff QuinnChief Operating Officer
• Theon WebsterChief Financial Officer
• Kate PanuskaChief Administrative Officer
• Benay HicksChief External Relations Officer
• Connor KirkpatrickNational Director of Advancement
• Michelle HymanNational Director, Books from Birth
• Rachel StineNational Director, School-Age Initiatives
• Mary MathewSenior Director of Advocacy
• Cheri ColemanSenior Director, Book Babies
• Charlia VanceSenior Associate Director of Finance
• Jessica "JRuss" Russell GilliamSenior Associate Director of People Operations
• Alison WestbrookNational Director of Talent and Culture
• Caitlyn SmithDirector of Procurement and Logistics
• Ranita DawkinsAssociate Director, Data Systems
• Maria GarciaSenior Associate Director, Analysis and Evaluation
• Megan LeFaivreAssociate Director of Partnerships, School-Age Initiative
• Ashley McClureSenior Associate Director of Program Implementation, School-Age Initiatives
• Patrick TorresSenior Associate Director, Corporate Partnerships
• Amy FranksSenior Director, Family and Community Engagement
• Caitlin GeorgasSenior Associate Director, Early Literacy
• Alisa MillerSenior Associate Director, Family Engagement
• Erika StewartSenior Associate Director, Early Literacy, Forsyth County
• Anneke OppewalManager of Executive Strategy and Special Projects
• Smrithi SwaminathanTalent Manager
• Wilmarie Cintron-TysonBooks from Birth Program Manager
• Frida Daniels SanchezSenior Program Coordinator, Book Babies
• Parker NelsonVolunteer Engagement Manager
• Bria DavenportEvents Manager
• Sarah WoodBooks in a Box Coordinator
• Elliot WorthBook Abundance Coordinator
• Abby Van VlietSchool-Age Initiatives Coordinator
• Kalyn MilotInventory and Procurement Coordinator
• Erin WuebbensRevenue Manager
• Evelin VazquezCustodian
• Vanessa Collier-RobinsonSenior Manager, Book Babies
• Valerie MorenoSenior Literacy Coach, Durham County
• Marela TeshSenior Literacy Coach, Forsyth County
• Gia ParkerFamily Engagement Manager
• Diana Abreu ZambranoSenior Coordinator, Family and Community Engagement
• George HendrixProgram Coordinator
• Gisela Mora HernandezBridge to School Coordinator
• Dani RangelLiteracy Coach, Durham County
• Sylvia HinesLiteracy Coach, Forsyth County
• Julissa Sabat HarbaughLiteracy Coach, Durham County
• Taylor HorneLiteracy Coach, Durham County
• Maddie PresuttiFamily Engagement Assistant - AmeriCorps Member at NC Literacy Corps
• Sonia SalasSpanish teacher at Durham Academy
• Barbora Ngaboyamahina, AIA, RIBAArchitect
• Crystal Parker, M.Ed.Program Coordinator, Alumni & Student Connections, Duke Alumni Engagement & Development
• June NeeseSenior Logistics Coordinator
• Susan EnglishDigital Services, North Carolina Department of Transportation
• Holly SnyderData Coordinator
• April S.Accounts Payable Manager
• Daniela DunnCommunity Engagement Coordinator

• Family and Community EngagementPlace-based programming that partners with parents and communities, including literacy coaching…
• Book BabiesA signature early literacy program supporting infants and their parents…
• School-Age InitiativesPrograms focused on school-age children, including summer book distribution to ensure students from…
• Books from BirthIgniting literacy for every newborn.
• Family Advisory Board (FAB)Led by parents dedicated to taking Book Harvest's signature literacy programs to scale in Durham and piloting…
• Books in a BoxA program that delivers books to children and families, contributing to the more than 3 million books…

• Work here?How Book Harvest’s team gets in
• AddNews from Book Harvest, first on your Home.Add
• Join book processing sessionsHelp count, sticker, sort, and box books. Family-friendly, no experience needed.Sign up
• Volunteer with your groupGroups of up to 20 can help with various projects. Must be 16 or older.Sign up
• DonateOnce or monthly.Donate

Based in

Durham, NC

Founded

2011

EIN

45-2610533

Staff

80

Website

bookharvest.org

• Book Harvest2501 University Dr