Library Ambassador Program
Become a JWI Library Ambassador:
An exciting project to benefit children at risk!
JWI’s Library Ambassadors reach out to children in need – by raising funds to fill the shelves of a JWI shelter library with brand-new children’s books. This is a gift that will impact every child who spends time in a domestic violence shelter, now and well into the future.
The Ambassador program is an ideal mitzvah project for individuals, classes, or entire schools!
Program Details
- Ambassadors agree to raise a minimum of $250. That means you will put a minimum of about 100 brand-new books into a planned or existing JWI library of your choice and support the ongoing work of the National Library Initiative. Past Ambassadors have sent up to 300 books to a shelter; some ambitious Ambassadors have even raised enough money to open a new library!
- Each Ambassador or group can have a Web page where JWI will post a picture and include a short description of the Ambassador’s reason for choosing this project. A link to this page can be posted to personal websites and sent to friends and guests to encourage donations.
- JWI can provide you with cards to include with your bar or bat mitzvah invitation, to inform guests of this special project. If this project is not tied to an event, we have plenty of creative ideas for raising funds.
- In addition to donations, gift cards can also be collected to support your selected shelter.
- JWI can provide resources for Ambassadors to learn and teach about the importance of literacy and education, and the effects of domestic violence.
- Whenever possible, JWI can arrange for Ambassadors to visit the library, help put books on the shelves after they are delivered, and make plans for a long-term volunteer relationship with the shelter.
- When a project is complete, Library Ambassadors will receive certificates of recognition and be featured on our website.
Frequently Asked Questions:
What makes this program so special?
JWI has a partnership with First Book, a nonprofit that provides new books to children in need. First Book’s strong relationships with publishers, warehouses and shipping companies helps you and JWI reach more children and families than we would be able to by ourselves. This partnership allows us to provide books at a discount of 50-90% off of regular list prices, at an average of $2.50 each! Every $5 you raise puts two books into the hands of a child in need!
Can someone buy a book themselves and donate it?
While our partnership allows us to get books for less than they cost in a book store, we understand that sometimes people want the feeling that comes with buying a specific book and hand-delivering it to the Ambassador. If this occurs, all books should be new and the Ambassador is responsible for shipping the book(s) to the shelter.
To learn more, please contact us or call 800.343.2823.
