Lending Library Progress Update

from the desk of Nelson C Barry III, Founder & President of UASF:

In addition to the success Urban Angels SF having with the high-impact, one-on-one online tutoring campaign to benefit underserved San Francisco elementary school students, UASF is also making great strides in bringing books into the homes of underserved children (black, brown, ESL, unhoused and those from families living at or below the poverty line).

We have launched a “Book Club” at La Fenix Residence in partnership with Mission Housing Development Corp (MHDC) and Children’s Book Project.

For “normal” families, the average is 13 age-appropriate books for every child in the home. In underserved families such as those UASF is serving, it is 13 books for every 300 children. Yes, you got that right, out of 300 children, 287 do not have an age-appropriate book at home.

So far, we have delivered 200 books in great condition to La Fenix, which has set up a bookcase in the lobby. Kids are very interested and taking them all! An added plus is that the older students and even the parents are taking books. All over the common areas, children and adults can be seen reading! This has created an atmosphere of encouraging everyone to read. UASF plans to capitalize on this by starting story time and reading partner activities, which will amplify widespread enjoyment of reading.

Lastly, once the program at La Fenix is more or less fully developed, which we expect to happen in the next month or so, UASF will be instituting it in Kapuso and Avanza, additional residences where low income, black and brown and ESL families reside.

Help us keep this momentum going -- your support means more books, more readers, and brighter futures. To support UASF in this important mission, please DONATE. Your generous financial donation will help keep the momentum to increase literacy among our most underserved communities going right here in San Francisco.

Sincerely,

Nelson Barry