Many groups in Charlottesville and the Albemarle County area have received books from Book Baskets over the past two decades. Below is a list of our current recipients. We are always interested in expanding our program to new local organizations; if you are or know of an interested recipient, please contact us.
ACDSS: Bright Stars and Family Support Programs
Albemarle County’s Department of Social Services Family Support Program is housed in 10 elementary and three middle schools and serves approximately 150 children per year in kindergarten through 8th grade. The Bright Stars Program has nine classrooms of 17 preschoolers plus children who are Bright Stars Alumni, up through the 5th grade. Book Baskets supplies books for the Bright Stars Program participants and alumni.
Albemarle County: Summer School Programs
Albemarle County runs an extensive July summer school program in most of its 15 elementary schools for any students needing or wanting extra academic experience. Book Baskets delivers enough books to the summer school teachers so that each child can choose two books to take home and keep as gifts over the course of the summer program. Some teachers have the children read their books for several minutes and then take turns telling the class what the books are about. Over 2,000 books are given out in the county schools each summer by Book Baskets.
Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Central Virginia
The mission of this group is to pair children ages 6-14 who are facing adversity with dedicated volunteers 18 or older who support them and enrich their lives at least eight hours each month. Several times a year, Book Baskets invites the program coordinator to our book storage location to select books for distribution within their program.
Boys and Girls Club of Central Virginia, James River
The James River branch of the Boys and Girls Club runs an after school program for children from Red Hill and Scottsville Elementary schools in kindergarten through 5th grade. Several times a year, Book Baskets delivers books to this program so that all of the participating children can choose books to take home and keep.
Boys and Girls Club of Central Virginia, Southwood
The Southwood branch of the Boys and Girls Club serves about 200 children ages 6-18, providing a variety of engaging after school and summer programs. Several times a year, Book Baskets provides books for a 5th grade book club for participating children.
Broadus Kingdom Kids
Once a month, Book Baskets meets with 15-20 children from Wilton Farms apartments during their weekly program in connection with Broadus Memorial Church. Book Baskets volunteers oversee the selection of books with the children and encourage reading proficiency
Charlottesville City Human Services, Home Visitors Program
A representative selects books from our storage area that are then offered to children of all ages during family home visits.
Charlottesville City Schools: Preschool Classes
The Charlottesville city school system runs classes for three- and four-year old children with disabilities or performance delays as well as children from the school neighborhood. There are 19 small classes in six different schools. Once a semester, we provide a book for each child to take home.
Charlottesville City Schools: Summer Elementary School Programs
Book Baskets provides books to these classes that start in the middle of June. Around 400 books are given to the four locations, and the children get to select two books to keep for their home libraries.
Child Health Partnership (formerly CHiP)
CHP is a home visiting program serving low-income children 0 to 6 years of age and pregnant women in Charlottesville as well as Albemarle, Louisa, and Fluvanna counties. Each enrolled family receives the services of both a Family Support Worker and a nurse. One of their three main goals is to give parents the knowledge and confidence to be their child’s first and best teacher. Each year the CHP staff make over 4,000 home visits. At every visit, CHP staff members bring a book for each child, provided by Book Baskets. They use the books in a variety of ways, but primarily to increase literacy in children by encouraging parents to read to their child.
The Community Dental Center (CDC)
The mission of the Community Dental Center is to ensure that low-income children receive quality dental care. They are a non-profit, full-service, pediatric dental center that always accepts new patients with Medicaid. Book Baskets provides books to the CDC. Each child can choose one book after every appointment to take home and keep.
Community Attention Foster Families (CAFF)
Community Attention Foster Families (CAFF), founded in 1976, recruits, trains, and supervises foster families for children between birth and age 21 in Charlottesville, Albemarle, and Greene counties. Book Baskets provides books for their annual holiday gathering in December.
The Emergency Food Network
The Emergency Food Network (EFN) is a private non-profit that provides three days worth of food for the families that have called them for assistance. Each family can only use the EFN once a month. The EFN receives books from Book Baskets for clients to take when they pick up food (two books per child per visit).
Free Clinic
The Charlottesville Free Clinic provides access to medical care, mental health support services, and prescription medications for uninsured and underinsured adults and their families living in the greater Charlottesville/Albemarle community. Children waiting for their parents can read Book Baskets books and, at each visit to the clinic, choose a book to take home and keep.
Free Dental Clinic
The Charlottesville Free Dental Clinic provides access to dental care for uninsured and underinsured adults and their families living in the greater Charlottesville/Albemarle community. Children waiting for their parents can read Book Baskets books and, at each visit to the clinic, choose a book to take home and keep.
Greenstone on Fifth Community Center
The Greenstone on Fifth Community Center houses a library and computer lab and conducts tutoring programs for after school youth in kindergarten through 4th grade. Book Baskets provides books several times per year for special and/or community events. Participating children can choose two books to take home and keep at each of these events.
Habitat for Humanity
Habitat for Humanity is a national organization that seeks to bring people together to build and rebuild homes and communities while catalyzing new pathways to safe, decent, affordable housing. Their ultimate vision is to create a greater Charlottesville community where everyone can find a decent place to live. Book Baskets supplies books for children of all ages who are waiting for their parents attending training classes. New books are given out several times each year.
Health Department: Nurses
Book Baskets supplies books to the Health Department to be given to children when they go in for checkups and vaccinations. Each parent/child pair is able to choose a book for the child to take home at the end of the visit.
Hungry Hearts No More Food Pantry
The Hungry Hearts No More food pantry, run through Peace Lutheran Church, provides groceries to 20 local families, including approximately 50 children. Book Baskets provides books monthly so that children visiting the food pantry to pick up groceries can also select books to take home and keep.
International Neighbors
The mission of International Neighbors is to serve our refugee neighbors by offering a network of support services, people, and opportunities that will foster a path to self-sufficiency and productive citizenship. Book Baskets provides books to newly resettled families in the Charlottesville area so that the children of our newest neighbors can begin to build little home libraries of their own.
Loaves and Fishes Food Pantry
Loaves and Fishes’ mission is to give food with kindness and compassion to those seeking assistance while providing an opportunity for volunteers to serve their neighbors in Charlottesville and surrounding communities. Book Baskets board members and volunteers curate books for the children and grandchildren of the clients at the Loaves and Fishes food pantry and distribute these two weeks per month. An average of 100 books are given out each day.
QuickStart Tennis of Central Virginia
Quickstart seeks to create happy, healthy, active, and literate kids in the 37 underserved Virginia counties that it serves. Its Racquets for Reading!!! initiative targets school systems where third grade reading scores are below 70% and poverty rates are significant. Several times per year, Book Baskets donates books to be distributed during community events.
ReadyKids: Healthy Families
Healthy Families fosters nurturing family relationships for pregnant mothers and safe environments for young children up to five years old. Family Resource Specialists meet weekly with parents to explore fun, free, and easy activities for parents and children to do on their own. Several times per year, Book Baskets provides English-Spanish and English books for this program. These are given to children by the Family Resource Specialists during home visits.
ReadyKids: ReadySteps
Within their home communities and via Zoom, Ready Steps brings regular early learning playgroups to children and caregivers. Before each session, the program manager comes to our storage space to select books for all the children enrolled in their groups.
Region Ten: Infant and Toddler Connection of the Blue Ridge
The Infant & Toddler Connection of the Blue Ridge is a local early intervention program under the Commonwealth’s Infant & Toddler Connection of Virginia. This program serves over 600 families in the Charlottesville and Albemarle area, including Fluvanna, Greene, Louisa, and Nelson counties, by offering free screening and support services for children birth to age five who are not developing as expected. Workers visit families regularly in their homes, and Book Baskets provides books for this program to be used as gifts during home visits.
Ronald McDonald House
The Ronald McDonald House of Charlottesville is the only local organization that provides a temporary home-away-from-home for families whose children are receiving treatment for a serious illness or injury in Charlottesville. In an effort to lessen the burden, reduce stress, keep the family intact, and enhance quality of life for these families, they provide affordable housing in a caring, home-like atmosphere. Annually, they host between 800 and 1,000 family stays. A stay could be an overnight visit or last many months. Book Baskets delivers books monthly that can be used and kept by the children in the hospital or by siblings who are staying in the Ronald McDonald House.
Wee Care Day Care Center
Wee Care is a small, independent day care serving 36 children. Monthly, Book Baskets gives children ages six weeks to five years old a special book to take home and keep.
Women, Infants, and Children Program (WIC)
Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) is a nutrition program that helps mothers and young children stay healthy and eat properly. WIC helps women, infants, and children to age 5 during times of important growth by helping women and children get the nutrition services and foods they need to stay healthy. Well children must come in for a check-up every six months. Book Baskets provides books to WIC so that each child can choose a book at each visit to take home and keep.
Book Baskets 