Join us for Of Wine & Words!

Each year, we invite our supporters and friends to join us at Of Wine & Words to raise funds and celebrate TRC’s accomplishments. If you have attended in the past, you know it's a great party. You can buy your tickets here!

Join us on Friday, April 24, 2015, at 7:00 p.m. at the Jones Day Rooftop Terrace. Jones Day is located near the Capitol and Union Station and its seventh-floor ballroom offers spectacular views of the Capitol. 

Doreen Gentzler, from the NBC4 News, returns for her third year as emcee. 

Drinks will flow from these great local providers:

• Arrowine
• Lost Rhino Brewing Company
• Dogfish Head Brewing Company
• Catoctin Creek Distillery

Food will be provided by the following restaurants:

• Bar Civita
• Catering by LT
• Dogfish Head Alehouse
• Dogwood Tavern
• Four Sisters Grill and Restaurant
• Lebanese Taverna
• Ragtime
• Rhodeside Bar and Grill
• SER Restaurant
• Village Sweet
• William Jeffrey's Tavern

As volunteers whose participation is, and always has been, central to our programs and history, we hope you'll come and enjoy this evening with us. Tickets for volunteers are $50. Volunteers can buy two tickets at this price. General admission tickets are $125. Purchase your tickets here.

If you can't join us at Of Wine & Words, consider supporting The Reading Connection during Spring2Action a online day of giving on April 22.  Help TRC reach our goal of raising $5,000 and benefit from a matching grant offered by the Mason Hirst Foundation.


This year Of Wine & Words is supported by these wonderful sponsors.

Platinum Sponsors: Berkeley Research Group, Jones Day and CBRE. 

Gold Sponsors: Acumen Solutions, Anna Epstein, Buckley/Sandler LLP, Greenfield/Belser Ltd., Hellerman Baretz Communications LLC, Hunton & Williams LLP, Integrated Systems Solutions Inc., Tradition Homes, Tradition Renovations and Westland Printers.

Silver Sponsors: 3wilders of McEnearney Associates Realtors, CEB, McGinn and Company, and the Northern Virginia Alumnae Club of Pi Beta Phi.

Bronze Sponsors: Arlington Home Interiors, BB&T, Jay E. Reiner, CPA, Jones & McIntyre PLLC, Jim Gibney of Lincoln Financial Group and Patty Harris of Washington Fine Properties LLC.

Media Sponsor: Arlington Magazine

Fall 2014 at TRC

Fall started with a bang at TRC with a brand new Read-Aloud site and a fantastic Community Reading Festival in Maryland and our volunteer picnic in Arlington. We'll continue our active fall with a family-friendly race on October 19th.


New Read-Aloud Site
TRC's Read-Aloud is up and running at the Greentree Shelter in Bethesda, Md. Volunteer teams began reading weekly at the site run by the National Center for Children and Families on August 19. We're thrilled to be reading with the kids at Greentree and working with our new partner.


Community Reading Festival
TRC hosted a Community Reading Festival at Ivymount School in Maryland on September 13 to celebrate the opening of our newest Read-Aloud site at Greentree Shelter in Bethesda.  Librarian Susan Modak and children's authors Mary Quattlebaum and Erica S. Perl read to and interacted with kids. Participants also could do crafts, get their faces painted, have snacks and enjoy a show by magician Jack Julius. 

Erica Perl engages young readers!

Captain Q and Crabclaw Chris
  explain their pirate ways.

Volunteer Appreciation Picnic

Delegate Lopez reads the resolution

As a part of our 25th anniversary celebration, TRC wanted an event to honor volunteers. We hosted a volunteer appreciation picnic for TRC program, community and corporate volunteers at Quincy Park in Arlington on September 28. Delegate Alfonso Lopez attended the picnic an presented TRC with a resolution from the Virginia House of Delegates recognizing TRC's 25 years of service to the community. 

TRC volunteers and family members enjoy lunch and each other.

Staff members from Nando's Peri Peri

Delicious food was generously donated by Nando's Peri Peri and drinks were donated by Honest Tea.  NexGenNow Arlington provided event volunteers.

In addition to food, games and camaraderie, TRC volunteers received new t-shirts pictured below.

TRC staff (and Eileen's son) sporting the new t-shirts
at the Boeing backpack stuffing event this summer.

  
Race for a Cause

JOIN US! TRC is partnering again with Acumen Solutions for its sixth annual Race for a Cause 8K and 1-Mile Fun Run on Sunday, October 19, 2014, in Arlington, Va. TRC is one of 10 charities benefiting from the race, and it's up to the registrant to pick the charity his or her registration will benefit. 

The start/finish line is centrally located in Ballston and is Metro-accessible. 

Our goal is to have 500 participants in this year's race. Sign up today!

Maryland program expansion

We are excited to announce a new partnership with the National Center for Children and Families (NCCF) to launch a Read-Aloud program at the Greentree Shelter in Bethesda, Md. In conjunction with our 25th anniversary, we are expanding our programming into a new jurisdiction and a new state. We’re pleased to be able to reach a new population of kids in need.







The Greentree Shelter is located in Bethesda, Md, near the National Institutes of Health and just a few minutes drive from Bethesda's central business district. The shelter has 46 beds for homeless families and serves as a transitional home for homeless families, primarily single mothers and their children. The shelter provides a wealth of support services for its clients including life and financial skills training, education and employment development and child-care services.

The Read-Aloud program at Greentree is held on Tuesdays from 7 to 8 p.m. and kicked off in mid-August, 2014. 

To celebrate our expansion, TRC will be holding a Community Reading Festival in Montgomery County on Saturday, September 13 from 2 to 4 p.m.  The festival will be held at the Ivymount School at 11614 Seven Locks Rd. in Rockville, Md.  

Guest readers, including authors Mary Quattlebaum and Erica Perl and children’s librarian Susan Modak, will share some of their favorite stories with the kids in attendance. The festival will also include crafts for kids and families to complete together, face painting and snacks. The festival is free and open to the public and is geared toward children aged 4 to 8 years old.  If you're planning on attending, please RSVP here.  Please email Stephanie Berman if you are interested in volunteering at the event.

2014 Of Wine & Words

Each year, we invite our supporters and friends to join us at Of Wine & Words to raise funds and celebrate TRC’s accomplishments. If you have attended in the past, you know it's a great party. But this year, Of Wine & Words also marks TRC's 25th anniversary celebration.

Join us on Friday, April 4, 2014, at 7:00 p.m. at the Jones Day Rooftop Terrace. Jones Day is located near the Capitol and Union Station and its seventh-floor ballroom offers spectacular views of the Capitol. The VIP reception begins at 6:00 p.m. 

Doreen Gentzler, from the NBC4 News, returns for her second year as emcee. Drinks will flow with tastings and full pours from Arrowine, Lost Rhino Brewing Company and Mad Fox Brewing Company. Food will be provided by Artisan Confections, Circa, Open Road and Trio, Eventide Restaurant, Green Pig Bistro, The Hamilton, Lebanese Taverna, P.F. Chang's and Rosa Mexicana.

The always-popular silent auction offers treats for yourself, outings around town and perfect gifts for the children in your life. You'll be able to bid online starting March 25 by clicking here.

As volunteers whose participation is and always has been central to our programs and history, we hope you'll come and enjoy this evening with us. Tickets for volunteers are discounted at $50. General admission tickets are   $100. VIP reception tickets are $150. Purchase your tickets here.

We are honored to have fantastic sponsors for our 25th anniversary year.

Platinum Sponsors: Berkeley Research Group, The Boeing Company, Capital BookShare, Jones Day, Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP, Turner Construction Company and Westland Printers.

Gold Sponsors: Acumen Solutions, Greenfield/Belser Ltd., Hunton & Williams LLP, Integrated Systems Solutions Inc., Marymount University, Tradition Homes. 

Silver Sponsors: Accenture, Carter Fullerton and Hayes LLC, CEB, Hellerman Baretz Communications LLC.

Bronze Sponsors: BB&T, Jones & McIntyre PLLC, McGinn and Company, New Horizons Computer Learning Centers and 3wilders.

Media Sponsor: Arlington Magazine

Race for a Cause

The 2013 Acumen Solutions Race for a Cause 8k & 1-Mile Fun Run is this Sunday, October 13, 2013. We hope you'll join us for an October morning of outdoor fun. 
  
By registering to run or walk in the 8k or 1-Mile Fun Run, you will support TRC's important work. This is a great opportunity to invite friends, family members and colleagues to join you in supporting TRC. 
  
The race begins at 8:00 a.m. The start and finish line is on North Quincy Street, near the intersection with Wilson Boulevard, in Arlington, VA and just a few blocks from TRC's office. 

When you register for the race at www.theraceforacause.com, remember to select TRC as your nonprofit choice. Make sure you register soon because registration closes on Thursday, October 10 at 9:00 p.m
  
If you already have registered for this year's race, thank you. If not, this is the time to step up and support TRC! If you have other plans for Sunday and cannot be there, you can still help by sponsoring a child from our program who wants to participate.

We hope you'll join us for a fun, healthy and rewarding Sunday morning. Your support will help TRC in its mission to create and sustain literacy-rich environments for at-risk children in our community.

We look forward to seeing you there! 

2013 Of Wine & Words

Come help us celebrate another great year at TRC at the ninth annual Of Wine & Words. Each year, we gather our supporters and friends to celebrate children’s literature and TRC’s accomplishments. Food from favorite local restaurants, wine from a local wine shop and beer from a Virginia brewery make this a delicious and festive occasion. A silent auction offers treats for yourself, outings around town and perfect gifts for the children in your life.

Join us on Friday, March 8, 2013, at 7 p.m. at the Boeing Conference Center in Rosslyn, VA. The VIP reception begins at 6:30 p.m. The night will include an appearance by our Chef Chair, Adam Barnett, Executive Chef of Eventide Restaurant and our Literacy Honoree, Henry Cole. The emcee for the evening is Doreen Gentzler from the NBC4 News.

Henry Cole is a celebrated children’s book author and illustrator, with over 50 books to his credit. A native Virginian, Henry taught science for 16 years at a northern Virginia school before becoming a full-time artist and author. His books run the gamut from hilarious (Chicken Butt!) to challengingly thought-provoking (Unspoken: A Story from the Underground Railroad).  

Henry Cole

Wine tasting will be provided by The Curious Grape from Arlington, VA. Lost Rhino Brewery from Ashburn, VA will offer beer tasting. All attendees will receive a TRC tasting glass to use and keep as a souvenir. Food will be provided by Artisan Confections, Bayou Bakery, Coffee Bar & Eatery, Eventide Restaurant, Green Pig Bistro, Lebanese Taverna, Lincoln, The Liberty Tavern.

We hope you’ll come enjoy this evening with us. Tickets for volunteers are deeply discounted at $35 each. Volunteers can get two tickets at this price.  Tickets can be purchased online here. See you there!

New Read-Aloud program at Columbia Grove!

We are excited to announce a new partnership with Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing to launch a Read-Aloud program at the Columbia Grove apartments. As with all of our Read-Aloud programs, the volunteers are essential to making the program a success, so please consider volunteering at Columbia Grove or encouraging your friends and neighbors to do so.

Columbia Grove is located in south Arlington, off of Columbia Pike and near Bailey's Crossroads at 1010 S. Frederick Street. The 208 units in 14 garden apartment buildings are situated among large areas of green space and outdoor play areas. Over 100 children call Columbia Grove home and attend Abingdon and Claremont elementary schools. The Read-Aloud program will be the first children's programming at Columbia Grove.

The Read-Aloud program’s goal is to share the joy and excitement of books with children living in homeless shelters and affordable apartment complexes. Volunteers bring books to life during one-hour Read-Alouds that engage children and include themed hands-on activities. 

The Read-Aloud program at Columbia Grove will be held on Mondays from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. beginning in late February 2013.   

New Read-Aloud volunteers must attend an orientation session, clear a background check and commit to reading one Monday a month for a minimum of one year. All volunteers must be at least 18 years of age. Orientation for Columbia Grove volunteers will be held on Saturday, February 2, 2013 from 10:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Arlington Central Library at 1015 N. Quincy St., Arlington, VA 22201.

Current Read-Aloud volunteers are encouraged to help out with the first few months of Read-Alouds at Columbia Grove and to spread the word about this new program. This is a perfect opportunity to encourage friends and family to become Read-Aloud volunteers.

For more information or to sign up as a volunteer, visit The Reading Connection website at http://thereadingconnection.org/volunteer or e-mail program manager Stephanie Berman at sberman@thereadingconnection.org. 

Arlington Kids Read Fall Community Reading Festival

The Reading Connection, in conjunction with Arlington Magazine, would like to invite all Arlington families to the Fall Community Reading Festival on Saturday, September 29, 2012 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Patrick Henry Elementary School in Arlington, VA.

The Fall Reading Festival celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month, with bilingual read-alouds of folktales, book-related crafts, and delicious snacks. 

Storytellers and VIPs will entertain children with Latin-American folktales in English and Spanish. Special guests include

• Virginia Delegate Alfonso Lopez

• Arlington County Board Member Walter Tejada

• Arlington County Library’s Desiree Fairooz

• Maria Elena Giraldo Greene from Hola Baby!

The goal of Arlington Kids Read is to promote reading for Arlington kids and families and to raise funds to support TRC's ongoing reading programs for at-risk kids.

If you're interested in bringing the kids in your life to the festival, you can RSVP at www.ArlingtonKidsRead.org. Feel free to pass this information on to friends and family. Flyers for the event can be found in English and Spanish. For more information about the Arlington Kids Read Campaign, check out the website at www.ArlingtonKidsRead.org.  

We're looking for TRC volunteers to help as craft coordinators and to assist with set up and registration for this event.  If you're interested in volunteering, please contact Stephanie Berman.

What: Community Reading Festival

When: Saturday, September 29, 2012 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Where: Patrick Henry Elementary School, 701 S. Highland Street, Arlington, VA  22204

Why:  Join us for a lively afternoon of fun, crafts and stories!

Transportation information:  ART 77 and Metrobus 10B and 16 serve the nearby intersection of Walter Reed Drive and Columbia Pike.  Parking is available at Patrick Henry Elementary School.

Arlington Kids Read: Community Read-a-Thon

The Reading Connection, in conjunction with Arlington Magazine, has created a new reading initiative, Arlington Kids Read. Its goal is to promote reading for Arlington kids and families and to raise funds to support TRC's ongoing reading programs for at-risk kids.


Arlington Kids Read will have events throughout the year, starting with a Community Reading Festival on May 12 and followed by a Community Read-a-Thon from May 12 through May 19.  

The festival will be an afternoon of reading fun from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Arlington Central Library, 1015 N. Quincy St, Arlington, VA 22201. There will be crafts led by TRC volunteers, goodie bags, face painting and read-alouds with guest readers including 

• Bilingual storyteller Mariela Aguilar

• School board member Sally Baird

• Meteorologist Adam Caskey

• Children’s book author Jacqueline Jules

• Children’s librarian Lisa Cosgrove-Davies

• Chef Rob Valencia

Clifford will even make a guest appearance, courtesy of WETA Kids. Goodie bags will include information about various summer reading programs offered throughout the county, the Read-a-Thon log book and other treats from the event's sponsors.

Many of the Arlington Read-Aloud sites, including Woodbury Park, the Berkeley and Virginia Gardens, will participate in the Read-a-Thon during the week of May 14. If you're reading with the kids at those sites that week, be sure to mention the Read-a-Thon and ask them how many minutes they've read so far that day. Time spent reading at a Read-Aloud counts towards the children's total minutes read for the day. Of the sites participating, the one with the highest average minutes read will win a pizza party and a book for each child. All children who participate will receive a certificate and will be entered to win one of several other prizes offered.


If you're interested in bringing the kids in your life to the festival, you can RSVP here. Feel free to pass this information on to friends and family. A flyer for the event can be found here. For more information about the Arlington Kids Read Campaign, check out the website at www.ArlingtonKidsRead.org.  


If you can't make it to the Community Reading Festival on May 12, don't fret, there will be more Arlington Kids Read events throughout the year. We'll be hosting several back-to-school story times throughout Arlington in September. We'll be looking for TRC volunteers to help as readers and activity coordinators for these events. If you know of a organization or place that might be a good host for one of these story times, please let Stephanie know.