Magazines for kids II

The real power of the blogosphere is in the connections we can create.  I had one of those connections happen today.  A post I wrote on August 31, 2006 resulted today in an email exchange with John Mennell, Founding Director of MagazineLiteracy.org.  I want to share with you some of what John said to me about this incredible organization:

"Our mission is to put wonderful magazines into the hands, hearts, and homes of children and families who would otherwise not have them.  One of our greatest challenges is reaching people who then sponsor the teachers, mentors, homeless and domestic violence shelters, and other literacy agents who help children and families learn and love to read.  We need to engage and leverage every magazine and media stakeholder in the ways that they excel to reach the masses."

As I said in my earlier post, other than making sure a child has the proper nutrition each and every day, I cannot think of anything more important than for a child to be able to learn about the world around them.  Many children have access to computers today, but not all.  MagazineLiteracy.org can make sure that children have access to information through the hundreds of magazines that are published today.  Check it out.

By the way, here is how John told me this organization was founded:

"Once, over ten years ago, an executive director of a battered women's shelter wrote me to explain how children and their moms arrived at her shelter with no belongings, and how wonderful it would be to be able to give each child a magazine with their name on the label.  I held on to that letter for all the years up until reaching a point in my own life when I could launch MagazineLiteracy.org.  Now, we make the necessary connections possible by inspiring and facilitating donations from individuals, groups, and business owners that sponsor magazines to children and families. But we need to reach more people in more communities to reach our full potential."

I think John has thrown the gauntlet down.