WE RIDE TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

VOLUNTEERS ARE THE CORE OF RIDE FOR READING

Research shows that 61% of low-income families have no books at all in their homes for their children and 80% of preschool and after-school programs serving low-income populations have no age-appropriate books for their children. It is our drive, our mission to end that cycle. We collect, sort and deliver books via bicycle to children in Title 1 Schools and low-income communities and coordinate one-on-one reading, educating them on the importance of literacy and a healthy lifestyle. Join our cause. Live our Mission!

Our Mission

To Help Children in Low-Income Areas Become Healthy and Literate

Our Vision

A World Where Every Child is Healthy and Literate

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Read. Ride. Give.

LEARN MORE

*Special thank you to Train Productions, our long-term Volunteer Corby Yarbrough, our Director, Brenda Mikec and the Whitsitt Elementary School staff and students for their help with this impactful video.

Upcoming Events

sun15novAll DayM.L. Rose Give Back Day benefiting Ride for Reading(All Day: sunday) CST M.L. Rose Craft Beer & Burgers

tue17nov(nov 17)3:30 pmthu19(nov 19)4:30 pmRescheduledNovember Book Delivery - Ruby Major Elementary3:30 pm - 4:30 pm (19) CST Ruby Major Elementary

tue01dec12:00 am11:55 pm#GivingTuesday - give the GIFT that keeps on GIVING12:00 am - 11:55 pm CST

Event Details

#GivingTuesday is a global day of giving and unity that will take place on Dec 1, 2020.

This #GivingTuesday, give the GIFT that keeps on giving.

Our MISSION is:
“To help children in low-income areas become healthy and literate.”

2020 continues to be a challenging year for us all but, like many of us, we keep pushing through. This year hasn’t stopped us, we’ve found solutions to continue our mission and even think about expansion in the years ahead.

Our GOAL is to raise $5,000 this #GivingTuesday! We have had some very generous donors pledge $2,500 in matching funds. That means, we just need to raise $2,500 and your donation will be doubled. CAN YOU HELP US GET THERE?

How does your donation help Ride for Reading this #GivingTuesday:

Give $20.00 – Sponsor 2 children with books and education about healthy-living.
Give $50.00 – Sponsor 5 children with books and education about healthy-living.
Give $100.00 – Sponsor 10 children with books and education about healthy-living.
Give $250.00 – Sponsor an entire classroom with books and education about healthy-living.
Give $500.00 – Sponsor a new or gently-used bike for 5 children with books and education about healthy-living
Give $1,500.00 – Sponsor an outreach event at a School with books, bookmarks, mobile bike repair, bike helmets, non-perishable food and educational resources about healthy-living.

Donations can be made online at: www.rideforreading.org/donate, by clicking the button below or by check (mail to: Ride for Reading, 1515 Elm Hill Pike Suite 107, Nashville, TN 37211). Every dollar donated for #GivingTuesday will directly support the Ride for Reading program.

Click below to make a difference with your donation to Ride for Reading!

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Want to make a bigger impact with your donation?
Click this LINK to donate to our fundraiser on Facebook and help raise money for Ride for Reading! After you make a donation, share it with your followers, friends & family and encourage them to make a donation of any amount to Ride for Reading.

SHARE your #UNselfie Photo or Video

Print this #UNSELFIE template, take a photo or film a quick video sharing why you donate, support and/or volunteer with Ride for Reading.
Upload & share on your personal social media pages anytime between now and December 1, 2020, upload to our Dropbox by clicking below or send directly to info@rideforreading.org. *Don’t forget to use the following hashtags – #UNselfie #GivingTuesday #rideforreading.

Thank you to everyone that has generously supported Ride for Reading’s mission to promote literacy & healthy-living in low-income communities over the last 12 years!

Time

(Tuesday) 12:00 am - 11:55 pm CST

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sat05dec7:00 am11:00 amFood/Book Distribution in partnership with One Generation Away & Plaza Mariachi7:00 am - 11:00 am CST Plaza Mariachi Music City

Ride for Reading will be partnering with One Generation Away, Plaza Mariachi Music City and Hispanic Family Foundation on Saturday, December 5, 2020 for a Holiday Drive.

LOCATION: Plaza Mariachi (3955 Nolensville Pike, Nashville, TN 37211)

We are looking for a few Volunteers from 7:00am-11:00am to help distribute Elementary and Middle/High School books to children in vehicles and spread Holiday cheer before the Holidays (wear your Holiday colors, Santa hats, etc.)! The official Food Distribution will start at 9:00am and we want to to ensure a smooth flow of events so we will distribute out books before that begins. BONUS: children/families get to READ while they wait in line!

Here are more details on the Food Distribution from One Generation Away:

DRIVE THRU FOOD DISTRIBUTION

ALL OCCUPANTS ARE ASKED TO REMAIN IN VEHICLE.
HAVE TRUNKS OPEN AND SPACE CLEARED FOR FOOD.
IF YOU NORMALLY VOLUNTEER + RECEIVE FOOD, WE ASK YOU TO REMAIN IN YOUR CAR TO RECEIVE FOOD AND NOT VOLUNTEER AT THIS TIME.
DUE TO THE HIGH VOLUME ONLY ONE CART PER CAR.
WE THANK YOU, IN ADVANCE, FOR YOUR PATIENCE!

15,000-25,000 lbs. of food will be dropped off in a parking lot, where volunteers will be waiting to sort and distribute it all to our neighbors in need. We pride ourselves on providing fresh and healthy foods, as well as things that are easily prepared and cooked. We do not ask questions or have requirements for people who can receive food.

Food is distributed on a first come, first served basis.

Time

(Saturday) 7:00 am - 11:00 am CST

Location

Plaza Mariachi Music City

3955 Nolensville Pike

Organizer

One Generation Away

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tue15dec3:30 pm5:30 pmRescheduledDecember Book Delivery - Warner Arts Magnet Elementary3:30 pm - 5:30 pm CST Warner Arts Magnet Elementary

Event Details

Sign up to volunteer for our December Book Delivery with Warner Arts Magnet Elementary on Tuesday, December 15th for their Holiday Drive-thru event being held from 4:00pm-5:30pm in partnership with Turnip Green Creative Reuse, the Tennessee State Parks Conservancy and the Tulip Green Foundation.

Volunteers will meet at Warner Arts Magnet Elementary no later than 3:30pm to help set up and pass out books, bookmarks and other tips and resources to children/families to vehicles to continue reading and staying active over the Winter break. Tennessee State Parks Conservancy and Turnip Green Creative Reuse will have several fun indoor/outdoor winter activity kits for children to create at home and Tulip Green Foundation will be passing out backpacks filled with food for children/families to take home.

This is going to be a great way to partner with Warner Arts Magnet Elementary and other great partner organizations and bring encouragement and cheer to children and families for the Holiday. In the consideration of overall safety, masks and social distancing will be required.

Click button below to sign up to Volunteer:

Ride for Reading’s mission is to promote literacy and healthy-living to children in low-income communities. Since 2008, we have mobilized over 20,000 volunteers to deliver over 500,000 books to over 300 schools in over 50 cities across the U.S. Founded here locally in Nashville, we host 8-9 book deliveries during the school year, to Title 1 schools. Additionally, we partner with Community Centers and Summer School programs and other Literacy Partners during the summer and winter months to deliver books. Ride for Reading believes that education is not only found within the four walls of a school building, but within the pages of a book you can go anywhere, see anything, and experience everything. Every child deserves that despite economic status.

Click HERE for a Ride for Reading book delivery promo video.

Volunteers are the core of our mission and we couldn’t do what we do without the help of the community! We are in the need of volunteers on an ongoing basis to join us on our book deliveries/distributions to deliver 700-1,000+ books to children, repair bikes and read to children! The book delivery consists of volunteers gathering at the School or a Meet-up location to load up books in backpacks, trailers, etc. and riding bikes together as a group (parade-style) to the School or Community Center. We will share with the children/families the importance of literacy with resources to help encourage more reading as a family and healthy-living through activities like cycling, walking, etc.

We are excited to share the love of reading & healthy-initiatives with these children. We promise, you will never forget the experience of children/families excited to see people from their community handing them books and teaching them more about staying active.

Thank you all for volunteering your time with Ride for Reading!

Time

(Tuesday) 3:30 pm - 5:30 pm CST

Location

Warner Arts Magnet Elementary

626 Russell St

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Monetary Donations

As a 501(c)3 non-profit, we rely on charitable donations to keep the lights on, keep the wheels turning, and provide these invaluable programs to the children in our low-income areas

DONATE NOW

Book Donations

As a primarily volunteer organization, we are always in need of new or gently-used elementary, middle, and high school-aged books

GET MORE INFO

Volunteer With Us

Volunteers can donate their time on our Book Deliveries and Fundraising events by Sorting Books, Collecting Books, Delivering Books, Hosting Book Drives, collecting tickets, event support and more

GET MORE INFO

Our Sponsors & Partners

Thank you to all our sponsors and partners for their continued support of Ride for Reading’s mission and efforts. Thanks to these local businesses, Ride for Reading has been able to serve the Nashville community for over 10 years.

Interested in being a sponsor and partner of Ride for Reading, please contact our Executive Director, Brenda Mikec at brenda.mikec@rideforreading.org or our Board Chair, Michelle Bowen at michelle.bowen@rideforreading.org.