Win a Signed Guitar from Band From TV!

TV Stars Band Together to Help Reader to Reader!

You can win a signed half-size guitar from Band From TV and help Reader to Reader's projects in Nigeria, Dominican Republic and India.

Band from TV is made up of TV stars that donate the funds from their gigs to charity. The band members signed the guitar, which is being raffled by Reader to Reader.



The guitar is signed by the Band From TV lineup, which includes a powerhouse of well-known and acclaimed actors including: Hugh Laurie who stars in "House"; Greg Grunberg, a veteran of shows such as "Alias" and "Felicity" as well as the NBC hit "Heroes"; James Denton, currently starring in the ABC hit "Desperate Housewives"; Bob Guiney, who appeared on "The Bachelor" and on TLC's "Date My House"; Jesse Spencer, currently starring in the FOX hit "House"; Adrian Pasdar, from "Heroes" and "Desperate Housewives"; and rounding out the band are accomplished musicians Chris Kelley (Music Director), Barry Sarna (Eagles), David Leach (Ben Harper), Chris Mostert (Eagles) and child-star turned bass player Brad Savage.

Buy Raffle Tickets online (please mention Band From TV). Tickets are one for $2, three for $5. Don't delay. The drawing is March 5!

I will be back exploring your shelves again!

Dear Reader to Reader,

Thank you SO much again for all the fabulous books. Humanities 108 is all set
for this year, thanks to your staff. On behalf of the students who will
be taking the class--and also on behalf of my GED students and Tzivia's poetry
students--we are so grateful for all your help getting us the books we need and
then some. Rest assured I will be back exploring your shelves again!

Yours,

Anita Gallers
The Care Center
Holyoke, MA

Computers for Trinidad & Tobago

Sharon Spencer picks up a load of computers for the Growing Leaders Leadership Program, which is working to inspire the next generation of young leaders in Trinidad and Tobago. Reader to Reader is donating computers so they can put them in over 60 schools.

Reader to Reader’s Computer Donation Program donates refurbished Dell Optiplex GX 270 Pentium 4 computers with flat screen monitors. The computers are donated and refurbished by Amherst College and have been serviced by their IT department to be completely ready to run right out of the box.

Reader to Reader is an Inspiring Organization

Dear Reader to Reader,

My many thanks and great appreciation for all of the high quality books donated to the Samuel Bowles School and the Mary O. Pottenger School through the years.

I want to acknowledge the kindness, generosity and hard work that drives Reader to Reader to promote reading by providing great books to libraries in need. Reader to Reader is an inspiring organization that deserves to be recognized for all the good you do in providing books to encourage literacy!

Again, my heartfelt thanks for the many, many boxes of books that were delivered to both schools I service. I can honestly tell you that the donations of books has had a very positive impact on students’ reading!

Thanks again!

Donna McArdle
Librarian
Samuel Bowles School
Mary O. Pottenger School
Springfield, MA

Chef Bill to Cook to Aid Haiti

Friday, February 04, 2011
By DIANE LEDERMAN
dlederman@repub.com

AMHERST - Chef Bill Collins, known as Chef Bill, is hoping to tantalize lovers this Valentine's Day with a romantic dinner for two that will spread the love to Haiti.

Collins is auctioning off a meal to be chosen by the winner and prepared in the winner's home Feb. 14 to benefit Reader to Reader's Hope of Haiti project build a school. Reader to Reader is working with Mount Holyoke College senior Haeinn Woo on the project.

Woo said they need to raise at least $3,000 to get the project going. They want to build the school in Meyotte, a small village in the town of Petionville, a suburb of Port Au Prince.

Woo was in the Dominican Republic when the earthquake struck last year and ended up going to Haiti to help. She's been back three times and is committed to seeing the school get built. She said there's little money for education from the government and little opportunity for youngsters to learn.

Woo said she values education. "As a Korean-American, my parents gave up careers (in Korea) to give me an education," she said.

David Mazor, executive director of Reader to Reader, heard about Woo and her work in Haiti and began working with her on the project. He said it's part of Reader to Reader's growing international reach. The organization donates books and computers to schools and promotes literacy in myriad ways.

Besides the dinner auction, Woo said students are holding an art auction and dinner at Mount Holyoke to raise money. The artwork will remain on display until Feb. 13 at the student gallery, Blanchard Campus Center at Mount Holyoke.

The auction ends Feb. 24 at a dinner.

Besides buying the land and the building, they need money for teachers and supplies.

Woo said they want to see the school be self-supporting eventually, and the idea is to make it sustainable with a farm, using micro-finance models.

Collins, who lives in Pelham, said he got involved because the couple in Salem who he normally cooks for on Valentine's Day decided not to hire him this year. He decided to offer his services for charity and has done some things for Reader to Reader before.

Collins will prepare a menu of the diners' choice in the couple's home. While such dinners usually cost $300, Collins said, "I'm not looking for somebody to get a bargain. I'm looking to get a bundle to Reader to Reader."

To bid on the dinner, visit www.chefbill.com. The auction ends Feb. 10. To learn more about Reader to Reader, visit http://www.reader toreader.org and to learn about Hope of Haiti visit http://www.hopeofhaiti.org

Win a Romantic Valentine’s Day Dinner for Two and Help Build a School in Haiti!

Chef Bill Collins has generously donated a romantic dinner for two cooked in your own home with all proceeds from the online auction going to Reader to Reader’s Hope of Haiti project. The project is building a school in the tent city area of Petionville, Haiti.

Chef Bill (www.chefbill.com) is a personal chef in Western Massachusetts. He is offering a four-course dinner to the winning bidder, to be prepared in their home on Monday evening, February 14, 2010. The lucky couple will select the menu, and enjoy an evening of food, fun, and relaxation. Quite often, Chef Bill’s dinners turn into an impromptu cooking lesson. Having a Chef Bill dinner is like having your own cooking lesson TV show right in your kitchen!

Chef Bill will travel anywhere for this dinner. For details, please visit his website, www.chefbill.com

Chef Bill Collins has operated his business, Chef Bill, Inc, since 2001. He has cooked for many people (including some very famous folks) throughout New England and beyond. He also does cooking lesson parties, cooking lessons, Romantic Dinners for Two, and small dinner parties. He teaches classes for the public at Stonewall Kitchen and the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

Place your bid at http://www.chefbill.com/2011/01/valentines-day-romantic-dinner-for-two-auction/ and have an amazing, delicious, fun-filled night while helping us do important work in Haiti.