admroarnycDecember 02, 2021
This fall, an additional 8,000 books were distributed to families with young children when they received a COVID-19 test, totaling over 30,000 books in 2021.
New York, NY, November 16, 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 their partnership with NYC Health + Hospital’s COVID-19 Test and Trace Corps providing an additional 8,000 children’s books to be distributed at COVID-19 testing sites.
Starting in December 2020, RORGNY expanded their existing relationship with NYC Health + Hospitals through working with their COVID-19 Test and Trace Corps. Test and Trace has 17 rapid COVID-19 testing locations throughout New York City where they see around 200 patients per day, per site. RORGNY provided books to be handed out to families who come in for COVID tests and offered a 45-minute training for the NYC Health + Hospital’s Resource Navigators to advise parents on building early literacy skills with their young children.
Resource navigators at the sites praised the efforts saying families “really resonated with the positive messages the books were trying to convey” and “being presented with the option of books was a good surprise.”
In addition to book distribution at COVID testing sites, RORGNY and their partners at City Council’s City’s First Readers initiative provided more books, crayons, art supplies, and activity sheets for Take Care Kits – collections of resources that go out to families required to quarantine. At the five quarantine hotels set up around New York City, ROR GNY provided books to entertain and support the children and families staying there. Resources from libraries are introduced here as well.
This partnership started in December 2020 and has led to the donation and distribution of over 30,000 books.
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