February is 'I Love to Read Month' ! In the spirit of the month, for February 2023, JRC is Giving Back to Bookmates!

Established in 1984 in Winnipeg, Bookmates develops, delivers and offers training in a variety of intergenerational early literacy programs and workshops to enhance the learning of both children and adults. Their vision is that “all families and their communities experience the joy and benefits of literacy”.

They support parents and caregivers in their roles as their children’s first teachers, and help to prepare children for success as they enter the school years. Their programs and services are open to all, but they primarily serve vulnerable families who face multiple challenges and are impacted by personal and social barriers.

Bookmates offers a variety of Parent-Child Programs for facilitators to run in their home communities in schools, child care and family resource centres, libraries and other organizations that work to support families with young children. They also have a range of professional development workshops on current early childhood development and family literacy topics for service providers who work with families and young children. These include 'First Friends: Developing Empathy and Building Peer Relationships in the Early Years', 'Growing Strong STEMS – Supporting Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Concepts in the Early Years', and 'Working With Newcomer Families', to name just a few!

Throughout the month of February, purchase cupcakes in-store at Academy, Island Lakes or The Forks, through SkipTheDishes, or online, and 5% of all sales will be donated to Bookmates.

 To learn more about Bookmates, you can visit their website here.

 Together, we can inspire families and communities to grow through the joy of learning.