admroarnycDecember 02, 2021
All funding will help over 200,000 New York City children gain free access to quality, diverse books and literacy guidance
New York, NY, Oct. 29, 2021 – Reach Out and Read of Greater New York (RORGNY), the 501(3)c nonprofit providing children a foundation for success by incorporating books into pediatric care and encouraging families to read aloud together, announced today that it received the largest year-over-year funding increase from the New York City Council (the Council). RORGNY will receive an additional $110,864 increase for fiscal year 2022 allowing the organization to serve even more families in New York City with quality, diverse books, and literacy guidance.
RORGNY largest year-over-year funding increase stems from The Council’s overall grant for City’s First Readers, a group of nonprofits that offer early learning programs and activities for families with children from birth to age 5.
Emily Marchese, Executive Director of Reach Out and Reach of Greater New York, said: “The pandemic put a spotlight on the gap that low-income communities face in providing adequate resources to ensure childhood literacy development. We are grateful for our ongoing partnership with City’s First Readers and that the New York City Council recognizes the significance of our mission by providing RORGNY its largest increase in funding in the program’s history.”
The additional funding allows RORGNY to serve an additional 2.5% of children and increase the quality of the books provided by the organization. This includes books that feature more diverse authors and characters, providing more representation of the communities that RORGNY serves.
Year-to-date through RORGNY’s partnership with pediatricians, over 1 million children have gained access to books through their routine wellness visits. RORGNY provides books and training to over 230 Reach Out and Read programs in predominantly low-income communities in New York City, Long Island, and the Greater Hudson Valley. As a result of this evidence-based intervention, parents learn new ways to stimulate their children’s literacy development, have more books in their home, and read to their children more.
To donate or learn more about Reach Out and Read of Greater New York, visit, reachoutandreadnyc.org.
About Reach Out and Read of Greater New York
Reach Out and Read of Greater New York gives young children a foundation for success by incorporating books into pediatric care and encouraging families to read aloud together. We provide books and training to over 230 Reach Out and Read clinics in predominantly low-income communities in New York City, Long Island, and the Greater Hudson Valley. The program is built on the unique relationship between parents and medical providers to develop essential early literacy skills in young children via the existing health infrastructure. Our program is a proven intervention, supported by 15 independent, peer reviewed research studies. Follow RORGNY on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. To donate or learn more about Reach Out and Read of Greater New York, visit, reachoutandreadnyc.org.
Media Contact:
Kari Kurjiaka
kkurjiaka@reachoutandreadnyc.org