On April 14th, Bernie’s Book Bank Suncoast officially kicked off an exciting new partnership with Children First, Sarasota County’s nationally ranked Head Start program, expanding access to Bernie’s Book Bank Suncoast Sarasota young readers books for local families. Starting this month, free, high-quality books will be distributed across Children First’s campuses and put directly into the hands and homes of the children they serve—sparking curiosity, imagination, and a love of learning that lasts a lifetime.
Children First’s CEO Philip Tavill shared his excitement about the collaboration:
“Providing books to the children and families we serve has always been a priority for us, and this partnership helps us take that effort even further. We’re grateful to Bernie’s Book Bank and supporters like Jim and Amy Chapman for expanding access and helping more children build a library of their own at home.”
This partnership is a milestone in Bernie’s Book Bank Florida Suncoast’s expansion. Currently serving over 5,000 children across Manatee and Sarasota Counties, the organization is working toward its goal of reaching all 343,000 qualifying children across 12 Suncoast counties. A new book processing and volunteer facility opening in Lakewood Ranch this summer will help accelerate that growth.
Bernie’s Book Bank participated in a randomized controlled trial (RCT), carried out by an independent researcher over a five-year period (2018-2023), the results of which were recently published in the prestigious academic journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
Better futures begin with books—and we’re just getting started.
Amy Bott, the Suncoast Executive Director at Bernie’s Book Bank, is available for interviews to discuss the impact of children’s book ownership and how the community can get involved. Contact Amy at [email protected].
