Earlier this month, I had the opportunity to attend the 10th anniversary of the United Way’s Women’s Leadership Conference in Newport Beach, Calif. As a member of Women’s Leadership Development at UPS, it was rewarding to see a group of women come together to make a difference in their communities. At the conference, they called on the membership to focus on early childhood literacy in their local communities. This call-to-action resonated with me as The UPS Store network has an exclusive program with the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation—the Toys for Tots Literacy Program.

As President and CEO of the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation, I am honored to be working with The UPS Store network as we join forces once again to deliver joy and hope this holiday season to our neediest children.

The Toys for Tots Literacy Program offers our nation’s most economically disadvantaged children the ability to compete academically and to succeed in life by providing them direct access to books that will enhance their ability to read and to communicate effectively.

Since the program’s inception in March 2008, The UPS Store network and its customers have raised nearly $1.5 million to purchase books for children nationwide. This accomplishment is extraordinary, especially in light of our most recent economic hardships.

I’d like to share with you the story of Margaret King, this year’s winner of the second-annual Alferd Williams Literacy Award. This award, created as part of the Toys for Tots Literacy Program, recognizes individuals who are dedicated to improving our nation’s literacy rates.

King, a teacher of 27 years at Medford Elementary in Patchogue, N.Y., has inspired children to read both inside and outside the classroom. In addition to starting the Medford Book Mobile, King launched a literacy project called “Literacy at the Laundromat,” where, through donations, she created a reading corner inside one of the local Laundromats to encourage children to read as they wait with their parents. You can visit www.scholastic.com/literacy to read her nomination as well as the four runner-up entries—all are truly inspiring.

With unemployment in our nation reaching a staggering 9.7% and school budgets under attack, our nation’s less-fortunate children need your support now more than ever. Every dollar donated helps put books into the hands of these children in your local community. 

Now through December 31, participating The UPS Store locations nationwide are selling donation cards. As we kick off our 2010 holiday campaign, imagine how many hundreds of thousands of books we could deliver to your communities if every The UPS Store customer donated just $1 this holiday season.

Together, we can make a significant impact on the lives of children in the communities in which you live and work.

On Monday, our nation will not only celebrate the start of summer but also National Summer Learning Day, a day to observe the importance of summer learning. Studies show that “more than half of the achievement gap between lower- and higher-income youth can be explained by unequal access to summer learning opportunities.”*

To help fight this “summer slide,” The UPS Store franchisees in Washington, D.C., and the Toys for Tots Literacy Program last month donated 1,200 books to five elementary schools, one age-appropriate book for each student to take home and enjoy over the summer.

I work on the Toys for Tots Literacy Program day in and day out; it’s very important to me and the work I do. Yet from time to time, I am awarded the opportunity to see the program in action, to see the sparkle in the eye of a child when they receive a book of their very own or when they talk about their favorite story. This is how I know that all the work I put into the program is worth it!

My words aren’t as powerful as seeing it for yourself. I encourage you to watch the video so you, too, can see what I witnessed that day.

Summer camp, beach vacations, baseball games and the neighborhood pool are all apart of being a kid in the summertime. But let’s not forget the power of a book, the journey that a child can take without leaving their room.

* Alexander et al, 2007.

At one time or another, have you wanted to fulfill a dream – earn a degree, run a marathon, visit a distant land – but the thought, “I’m too old,” creeps into your mind?

Well, let me introduce you to Alferd Williams, who will teach you that you are never too old to live your dream.

In 2008, Alferd embarked on a journey to fulfill a lifelong dream to learn how to read.

As the son of sharecroppers, Alferd wasn’t afforded the opportunities that so many of us were as children. At a young age, he worked to help support his family while children his own age were attending school. Determined to keep a promise to his mother, Alferd “enrolled” in Alesia Hamilton’s first-grade class at Edison Elementary School in St. Joseph, Missouri at the age of 70.

One day last year, while researching potential honorees for a literacy award presented by the Toys for Tots Literacy Program (The UPS Store network is the program’s sponsor), we came across Alferd and Alesia.

Once we heard Alferd’s inspiring story, not only did we select him as the first recipient of the award (Aleisia was a co-honoree) but also felt it was appropriate to name the award after him. In order to fully understand Alferd’s commitment and passion to learning and reading, watch the video from last year’s award presentation to witness firsthand Alferd’s remarkable journey toward literacy.

If you know someone like Alferd who has made a difference in the lives of others by doing one or more of the following, consider nominating him or her for the 2010 Alferd Williams Literacy Award:

• Raised awareness of the issue of childhood illiteracy
• Inspired a love of reading among children whose lives are touched by poverty
• Created and/or advanced programs that improve reading skills for at-risk children
• Demonstrated a commitment to ending illiteracy in our nation’s youth

For more information on the Toys for Tots Literacy Program and the Alferd Williams Literacy Award, including the nomination form, official rules and prizes, please visit toysfortotsliteracy.org. Nominations are open through May 31.

To support the Toys for Tots Literacy Program, donate at participating The UPS Store locations or online at www.toysfortotsliteracy.org.

And the next time you say to yourself “I’m too old to do that,” remember Alferd and all that he has accomplished.

For more than 60 years, Toys for Tots has been bringing smiles to the faces of less fortunate children through the gift of a new toy. The Toys for Tots tradition is well known and respected in every community nationwide. In 2008, with the help of The UPS Store®, Toys for Tots extended its reach and impact in a meaningful way by providing children in need with the gift of a new book.

This new initiative, the Toys for Tots Literacy Program, brings the joy of reading to these children, but also serves as an important tool in breaking the cycle of poverty. It is estimated that there are approximately 14 million children living in poverty in the U.S. and unfortunately, after the recent recession, this number is increasing.

In low-income neighborhoods, the ratio of books per child is one age-appropriate book for every 300 children.* I know, it’s hard to imagine this as you look around your child’s room and see books filling shelves and piled up next to their bed, where, every night you enjoy one, two, or three books together before bedtime.

It just so happens that my favorite family tradition takes place every Christmas Eve when my dad, or “Papa” as he is known to his grandkids, pulls out “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas,” piles the kids on his lap, and with great enthusiasm reads to a captivated audience. On their first Christmas Eve, each grandchild is given their very own edition of this Christmas classic, which each will treasure for a lifetime.  

I am sure that many families have a similar tradition, whether it is the same story or another Christmas classic. There are, however, many children that may never have had these books read to them – ever. During the holidays, so many of these children wake up on Christmas to nothing under the tree and some lose faith in the magic of the season.

As you are out shopping and shipping this holiday season, consider donating a dollar at a participating The UPS Store location. For every dollar donated, a book is placed into the hands of a local child in need. Donations can also be made online at http://www.toysfortotsliteracy.org/.

And, amongst the piles of toys and video games you buy for your own children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews, pick up a couple of books and start a tradition of your own.

 *Included in the “Handbook of Early Literacy Research”, Vol. 2 edited by Susan Nueman and David Dickinson