The mission of BTR is to support childhood literacy in the St. Vrain Valley. In 1992, two teachers (kindergarten, first grade) realized that students who read at home were more ready to learn than others. Partnering with Longmont United Hospital, they raised funds for cloth bags with books and materials in the two local languages, encouraging new parents to read to their babies. We now partner with UCHealth Longs Peak and Common Spirit (formerly LUH). Childbirth numbers have been rebounding since the pandemic. As the costs of books and other materials have increased, our annual budget has been up by 50% since 2020. Your donation will help us continue this vital program.
In BTR’s first year, its founding teachers raised $200. Our annual budget is now $15,000 as we partner with two local hospitals and their nurses. We provided 1,116 bags in 2023, may top 1,500 in 2024.
We seek funds due to rising costs and local childbirth numbers, on track to top pre-pandemic levels.