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A Special Thanks
To Beulah High School



Capital Campaign
Kiwanis Clubs have partnered with local businesses for
years to help pay for the books for the children served through Jean Dean
RIF. Purchasing the books through group buys and sending them to local
areas saves at least 50% on the cost of books for Alabama's at-risk young
children. Having the program administered from one location assures stability
and longevity for the program and saves a lot of set-up time for local
volunteers. It's a necessary part of the program that most funders, volunteers
and sites served never see.
A big, on-going need for the next 3 to 5 years will be helping to conclude
the first ever Jean Dean RIF Capital Campaign! In August '04, Jean Dean
RIF/Alabama Kiwanis Foundation kicked off a $190,000 capital campaign
to pay off the loan (& interest) on permanent warehouse/office space
for JEAN DEAN RIF, make repairs as needed, pay maintenance on the facility
and begin to develop a reserve fund for the building after the loan is
satisfied. Early on, $15,000 was raised. The plan is to raise at least
an additional $35,000 a year for the capital campaign to meet our obligations
and pay off the loan by August '09 . Our goal is to raise an average of
$64,000 a year for three years so we can save over $10,000 in interest
and be ready to make expected roof repairs and develop a small reserve
for other repairs as needed. We need your help!!!
Anything you could do now or over the next 5 years would
be a big help
in the successful completion of our first ever Capital Campaign for JEAN
DEAN RIF.
Please make your checks payable to: Alabama Kiwanis Foundation/Jean
Dean RIF (For: "Capital Campaign")
and mail to PO Box 848, Opelika, AL 36803-0848
All donations to this campaign are tax deductible
because Jean Dean RIF is an effort of the Alabama Kiwanis Foundation which
is a 501C3 Foundation.
*Specific donation amounts will be confidential unless publicity is requested
by the donor.
*Donors names will be listed on a plaque at the building unless donors
choose to be anonymous.
Donations of $5,000 and up: The Three Billy Goats Gruff
Society ("Big Brothers" meeting special needs)
Donations of $3,000 - $4,999: The Corduroy Society (Sustaining "friends"-
always there to help)
Donations of $1,001-$2,999 The Clifford Society ("Taking a big bite"
out of our capital debt)
Donations of $500-$1,000: The Very Hungry Caterpillar Society (Eating
away "every day" at what is left to pay)
Donations of $100-$499: The Little Red Hen Society (Working together to
finish the job)
Donations up to $99: The House That Jack Built (Lots of individuals building
those interest payments)
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Thanks To All
Our Supporters
BIG EVENT




Monte Atkins, President
Auburn Kiwanis Club presents $2,000 check.

September 30, 2006
Volunteer Group

Auburn Kiwanis Club
Gives A Hand

Head Start Award

Pat Padgett-
Auburn Kiwanis Club
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Silent Auction
Kiwanis District Convention
Gadsden, Al-August 1-3

Auburn Football Autographed

Tiger Print 13x19

Hummingbird Print
13x19

Tiger 13x19 Print
Many More Items
to Bid On
Cathy's Message
A million books --- a million
opportunities for Alabama’s at-risk young children- thanks to Kiwanians
and friends!
“By
the end of this school year, Alabama Kiwanians and their “friends” (a
variety of community partners had given at-risk young children across the
state over ONE MILLION quality, age- appropriate books since 1991,”
reports Cathy Gafford, Director, Jean Dean RIF/Kiwanis. It
is the largest RIF project in the nation serving pre-schoolers. “Born
out of the Kiwanis International Young Child ( 0-5) : Priority One
program, Jean Dean RIF/Kiwanis makes it possible for local Kiwanians to
positively impact literacy in their communities,” continues Gafford.
“Putting books in these
children’s homes, many times, makes ’family literacy ‘ possible, and
every time increases the child’s opportunity to learn to read.”
As Huntsville West Kiwanian Richard Hartz put it, “We can't take the bad things out of a child's life, but
we can always put good things in."“Kiwanians
and the many ‘friends of Kiwanis”
are indeed making a difference in the number of households who have
books in their home in Alabama and the number of families who are reading
to their children,” reports Gafford.
“JEAN DEAN RIF books allow
these children to be familiar with books before entering kindergarten. …
Kiwanians care a great deal about our youngest Alabamians and are pleased
to be able to work with other clubs, businesses, foundations and
individuals to give ALL of our children an opportunity to start school
with the necessary tools to be ready to learn.
At these RIF
distributions, at-risk children
receive books to keep and enjoy at home ... for many of these children,
the FIRST and ONLY BOOKS in their homes!
The book distributions (which include the just -chosen books being
read to the children) not only show children adults in their communities
care about reading and care about them, but also make family literacy possible
in many cases by putting books in the homes.
More households across the state have received Kiwanis RIF books
than the number of functional illiterate adults in the state.
Kiwanians are making sure children see the fun in reading early and
have the benefit of books in their homes to enjoy. Literacy continues to
be an important factor in success in school and life.
National Research shows putting books in children’s homes greatly
impacts their interest in reading and also that of their families .. and
greatly increases the number who learn to read.”
Research shows early literacy development produces later reading successes.
Kiwanians want to help children have every opportunity to
succeed.” The in-kind donation from the books and time given also
increases grant eligibility in the sites served and greatly enhances other
benefits which can be made available to the children and their families.
By May 2008, Jean Dean
RIF/Kiwanis, had given three books each to 350,000 at-risk young children
in Alabama since ‘91.
Each school year, about 75,000 quality, age-appropriate books are
given to over 25,000 at-risk young children in Head Starts, Even Starts,
state sponsored daycares, state early intervention centers, daycare homes,
housing projects and some primary schools. In Jean Dean RIF Family of
Readers sites, the parents of 6000 of these children participate in
reading challenges at home and receive special early literacy training to
assist in family literacy efforts. These sites also have access to RIF
Lending Libraries provided by a partnership with American Honda and
Footlocker.
Through Jean Dean RIF Shared Beginnings, 500 teen parents (age
12-18) and 500 of their babies receive three books each and take part in
reading related activities.
200 Hispanic young children also get books in the Jean Dean RIF
Migrant program
in Blount, St. Clair and Baldwin Counties.
Patients in Children’s Hospital in Birmingham have also received
books over the years through Jean Dean RIF Open Book.
Through Jean Dean RIF/Kiwanis,
children receive three books each in well over 550 sites around Alabama
each year. Over 2000 Kiwanians and “friends of Kiwanis” spend at least
6000 hours annually reading to the children because the project brings
together all of the elements that major studies identify as critical to
assure that children grow up reading: access to books, incentives to read
them, books in the home, parental involvement, and reaching youngsters
early. By May ‘08, the combination of giving books and time spent
reading since the project began will amount
to an in-kind donation of about $10 million which could have
allowed Head Starts to justify over $40 million in grants for additional
benefits for the children and their families.
Started
in ‘90-’91 by Joe Dean, then Governor of the Alabama District of
Kiwanis, the program is named after Dean’s wife, Jean Torbert Dean, who
died in 1990.
This effort is the signature service project of the Alabama Kiwanis
Foundation.
Tax deductible donations can be mailed to Jean Dean RIF, PO Box
848, Opelika, AL 36803-0848.
Volunteers are always welcomed by calling 334-749-5631 or emailing jeandeanrif@bellsouth.net.
Dothan Kiwanis Visits Headstart

IT WAS A GREAT DAY TO BE A KIWANIAN. ANY DAY YOU
CAN BRING A SMILE TO A CHILD'S FACE IS A GREAT DAY!!!!
SPECIAL THANKS TO
THE 13 KIWANIANS WHO TOOK TIME FROM THEIR BUSY SCHEDULES TO DO JUST THAT
TODAY. THE SMILES OF THE KIDS AT HEAD START WERE WORTH OUR TIME!
IF YOU MISSED IT THEN YOU JUST
MISSED IT (THE SMILES). YOUR LOSS!
Robert
Helms

Terri Williams-JoAnn Lanier
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