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Minneapolis was officially declared the United State's second Child Friendly City by UNICEF on February 14th, recognizing child friendly policies and initiatives in place throughout the city. Reach Out and Read Minnesota played a role through discussing children's rights and distributing a UNICEF published book about children's rights at children's five year well-child visits.

Join us in welcoming our newest members of our board of directors: Tricia Dege, John C Markham, JD, Mike Mercer, MD, Liza Soto De Cichowicz, MBA, CMA, Leann West, MD

"We're so incredibly grateful for the years of service Joe, Nick, and Sylvia have given to us. Their myriad contributions have helped Reach Out and Read Minnesota achieve many milestones over the years. I've learned so much from each of them and look forward to their continued involvement in other capacities," said Executive Director, Kris Hoplin.

We're looking for volunteers to help construct shelving units for our collection of used books!

Please join us in welcoming Reach Out and Read Minnesota's new Program Coordinator, Eleanor GrandPre!  

The Minnesota Legislature has just passed an historic investment in early childhood programs, including $500,000 allocation over two years for Reach Out and Read Minnesota. Governor Walz signed the bill into law this morning.

Kara Jacobsen, a nurse practitioner at Minnesota Community Care's La Clinica site in West St. Paul, is the winner of this year's Gerald GIlchrist Medical Champion award.

Medical students from the University of Minnesota have recently begun an initiative to read to infants in at the Hennepin Healthcare NICU though support the Reach Out and Read NICU program.

We have recently renewed our partnership with SMSC to provide over 1,400 Native centered children's books to clinics across the state.

"When we give [a child] the book, they get a big, huge smile on their face. We give the book out at the beginning of the visit and sometimes I'll sit and read some of the pages with them," says Nurse Practitioner Susan Goodemote

Our Program Manager, Janice Haines, reflects on the relationships at the core of our program, all we have accomplished in 2022, and our hopes for Minnesota's youngest learners in 2023 and beyond.

Our 2022 Annual Report is available to share and download. We invite you to learn more about our work to boost developmental health, family bonding, and early learning across the state of Minnesota.

We remember Malcom McDonald, businessman and philanthropist, who helped make Minneapolis a Bookend City in 2019.

We are thrilled to present our inaugural Diane Loeffler Legislative Champion Award to Rep. Carlie Kotyza-Witthuhn, lead author of two bills to support Reach Out and Read Minnesota in the legislature. Watch her accept the award and discuss how this program has impacted her own family.

We are pleased to give our 2022 Gerald Gilchrist Medical Champion Award to Dr. Sarah Israelson of Lakewood Health System in Motley and Staples, Minnesota. Watch Dr. Israelson receive the award here.

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