Reach Out and Read Georgia
Reach Out and Read Georgia
Each and every gift, no matter the amount, will help set a child up for success – in school and in life. Now more than ever we need your support.

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Investing in Impact.

With 199 medical program sites at hospitals, clinics and doctor’s offices across Georgia, we provide more than 175,000 young children and their families in 76 counties with free books and resources that promote early childhood literacy.

Our evidence-based model is backed by a large and growing body of academic research. We utilize the existing medical infrastructure, to encourage supportive, educational conversations with parents on the importance of reading aloud and the impact on children’s brain development.

Our Program
Reach Out and Read Georgia gives young children a foundation for success by incorporating books into pediatric care and encouraging families to read aloud together.
175,000
children served annually
199
program sites
233,000
books distributed annually
More than 200,000 children under the age of 5 lives in poverty in Georgia.
Give the gift of reading aloud to a child in need.
Supporting Georgia Families

Life at times may present its challenges, yet our communities, nation, and the world stand resilient. We’ve compiled a list of local resources for Georgia families in hopes of navigating parenting with a bit more ease.

Parenting During a Pandemic

Resources for Families

THE POWER OF PARTNERSHIPS

We are deeply grateful for the unwavering support of a vast network of compassionate pediatricians, dedicated residents, and committed medical providers across the state of Georgia. These professionals generously invest their time, talents, and expertise to make a lasting impact on the lives of children residing in low-income communities.

Our collaborative efforts with these trusted healthcare practitioners extend beyond the clinic walls. Through well-child visits, these professionals integrate literacy promotion into routine pediatric care, fostering a love for reading from an early age. By incorporating age-appropriate book gifting and guidance on shared reading practices, they play a pivotal role in preparing children for success, not just in school but throughout their lives.

Without the generosity of hundreds of donors, volunteers, foundations and corporate support we would not be able to deliver our intervention. We are so thankful to all who champion and invest in the mission of Reach Out and Read.

  • Foundation Support

    Aetna

    Anthem / Elevance

    Atlanta Braves Foundation

    Bobbie Bailey Foundation

    CareSource Georgia

    Francis Hollis Brain Foundation Fund

    Georgia DECA

    Greater Valdosta United Way

    James Hyde Porter Charitable Trust

    Jesse Parker Williams Foundation

    John and Mary Franklin Foundation

    Louis Calder Foundation

    Luluma Foundation

    Pediatric Center for Wellness

    Pi Beta Phi Foundation

    Pitney Bowes

    Primerica

    Scott Hudgens Family Foundation

    St. Ives Charity Guild

    St. Simons Island Literary Guild

    The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation

    The Community Foundation for the Central Savannah River Area

    The Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta

    The Community Foundation of Northeast Georgia

    The Goizueta Foundation

    The James Hyde Porter Charitable Trust Foundation

    The James M. Cox Foundation

    The Imlay Foundation

    The Macy’s Foundation

    The United Way of Greater Atlanta

    The Joseph B. Whitehead Foundation

    The United Way of Hall County

    The United Way of Northeast Georgia

    The Zeist Foundation

    Walmart Foundation

    Women in Philanthropy

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  • Government Support

    State Government Support

    Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS)

    Georgia Department of Public Health

    Georgia State Charitable Giving Campaign
    County Government Support

    Cobb County ARPA

    DeKalb County Government

    Fulton County “Funding provided in part by the Fulton County Board of Commissioners under the guidance of the Department of Community Development CSP Program”

    Fulton County ARPA

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  • Corporate Support

    Children’s Hospital of Georgia

    Conyers’s Pediatrics

    Intown Pediatrics

    Kaiser Permanente Georgia

    Morehouse Pediatrics

    Miss Georgia Scholarship Competition

    Milestone Pediatrics

    NCR Corporation

    Northpoint Community Church

    Old Fourth Ward Pediatrics

    Pediatric Associates of Lawrenceville

    Primerica

    Pitney Bowes

    Primrose Schools

    Publix Super Markets Charities

    Rivertown Pediatrics

    Southern Pediatrics Clinic

    Tanner Pediatrics

    Upson Regional Medical Center

    White Pediatrics

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  • Individual Support

    Individual Support $500+

    Audrey Morgan

    Andrew Godfrey-Kittle

    Betsy Root

    Bo Lee

    Cami Nail

    Claire Wilkiemeyer, MD, FAAP

    Dan King

    Erik Heiss

    Jay Berkelhamer, MD, FAAP

    John Upchurch

    Jonathan Goodin

    Karen Hirsch

    Kereese Gayle-Farias, MD, FAAP

    Lauren King, MD, FAAP

    Lisa Nolan

    Lynn Floum

    Marguerite Watanabe

    Rob Planter, MD, FAAP

    Staci Vickers

    Terri McFadden, MD, FAAP

    Virginia Cochran
    Individual Support $25,000+

    Stephanie Blank

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  • In-Kind Donations

    All About Books

    Barnes and Noble (Mansell, Perimeter, The Avenue Forsyth, Shoppes at River Crossing, The Avenue West Cobb, Riverbend Market, Augusta, Southlake Morrow)

    Books A Million (Brunswick, Canton, Dalton, Gainesville, McDonough)

    Books for Keeps

    Books Warehouse

    Collective Goods

    DeKalb Summer Reading Club led by the DeKalb Junior League

    First Book

    Pi Beta Phi (First Book donation)

    Mayor’s Summer Reading Club led by GEEARS

    Reading is Fundamental

    Scholastic

    Workman Publishing

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  • Strategic Partnerships

    Books for Keeps

    Brain Trust 4 Babies

    Bright from the Start: Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning

    Building Babies’ Brains

    Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta

    Child Well-Being led by the United Way of Greater

    Georgia Chapter of American Academy of Pediatrics

    Georgia Early Education Alliance for Ready Students (GEEARS)

    Georgia Public Library System

    Get Georgia Reading Campaign

    Georgia Coalition for English Language Learners

    Junior League of Atlanta

    Learn4Life

    Mayor’s Summer Reading Club

    Read With Malcolm

    Resilient Georgia

    Science for Georgia

    Talk With Me Baby Campaign

    The Annie E. Casey Foundation

    The Atlanta Speech School

    The Georgia Academy of Family Physicians

    The United Way of Greater Atlanta

    Young Men’s Service League, Centennial Chapter

    Voices for Georgia’s Children

     

     

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We want to hear from you!

Georgia’s Executive Director, Amy Erickson provides local leadership and sets strategic priorities for all aspects of our program. Erickson focuses on cultivating key strategic and funding partnerships as well as providing direction to our dynamic and growing programmatic and development team.

Georgia’s Medical Director, Dr. Terri McFadden provides further direction to the program and advocates about the importance of fostering a love of reading in the existing healthcare infrastructure thus bridging the intersection between health and education.

Our dedicated Program Managers provide technical support to our partner medical sites across the state to ensure fidelity to the model.

Our impact is significant and only made possible through our partnerships with over 1,400 pediatricians, providers, and medical staff across the state who implement our early school readiness and brain development intervention voluntarily to the children and families under their care.

Reach Out and Read Georgia Team Members

 

Amy B. Erickson, Executive Director

Contact Amy Erickson

770.401.6852

Terri McFadden, MD, FAAP, Medical Director

Contact Terri McFadden

Karson Pennington, Communications Specialist

Contact Karson Pennington

Ann Hazzard, Ph.D., Medical Engagement Consultant

Lorrie Stafford, Development Director

Contact Lorrie Stafford

Karolina Klinker, Program Manager

Contact Karolina Klinker

Kimberly Thomas, Program Manager

Contact Kimberly Thomas