>>> TODAY IS GIVING TUESDAY.
AND WE'RE ALSO JUST A DAY AWAY
FROM THE END OF NOVEMBER.
WHICH IS NATIONAL FAMILY
LITERACY MONTH.
>> THE END OF NOVEMBER ALSO
MEANS I CAN FINALLY SHAVE MY
MUSTACHE.
>> YES!
>> HERE TO TALK TO US ABOUT NEIL
AND JULIE.
ALSO JOINING US IS LAMISIA
BUTLER WITH THE HOUSTON
SUPER BOWL COMMITTEE.
WE'LL HEAR FROM YOU IN JUST A
MOMENT.
BUT WELCOME TO ALL OF OUR
GUESTS.
>> THANK YOU.
>> WE HAVE A FULL HOUSE.
>> WE DO HAVE A FULL HOUSE.
LITERACY IS SOMETHING THAT WE'VE
TALKED TO DR. FINK BEFORE ABOUT
THIS.
THAT THE ADULT LITERACY RATE IN
HOUSTON IS KIND OF OUTRAGEOUS.
SO HOW MUCH WORK DO WE HAVE TO
DO?
>> IT'S NOT JUST THE ADULTS.
IT'S THE ENTIRE SPECTRUM OF THE
AGE GROUP.
AND FIRST I'D LIKE TO SAY THAT
MY MOM, BARBARA BUSH, THE FIRST
LADY OF THE UNITED STATES AND
FIRST LADY O LITERACY, HAS MADE
LITERACY HER FOCUS, THROUGH MOST
OF HER PHILANTHROPIC LIFE.
SHE UNDERSTANDS IF YOU CAN'T
READ AT AN AGE-APPROPRIATE
LEVEL, YOU CAN'T POSSIBLY
REALIZE YOUR FULLEST POTENTIAL,
YOUR FULLEST GOD-GIVEN POTENTIAL
AS A HUMAN.
WE'VE DONE A STUDY AT THE
BARBARA BUSH LITERACY
FOUNDATION, THAT PRODUCE A
CRIEXZ STATEMENT THAT IN --
CRISIS STATEMENT THAT INDICATES
TOO MANY KIDS PORN IN POVERTY
FALL BEHIND THE 8 BALL.
THEY DON'T HAVE BOOKS IN THEIR
ROOM.
THEY FAIL THIRD GRADE READING
TESTS AND THEY STRUGGLE IN LIFE
AS CITIZENS.
MANY OF THEM TOO.
TOO MANY DO.
AND SO WE HAVE A HUGE CHALLENGE
IN HOUSTON.
AND I'M SO EXCITED TO SEE IT
ON -- AN ARMY OF VOLUNTEERS.
YOU TALK ABOUT TUESDAY GIVING OR
GIVING TUESDAY.
PEOPLE ARE GIVING TIME.
THEY'RE GIVING MONEY.
THEY'RE DOING ALL KINDS OF
THINGS TO INTERVENE AND TO HELP
PEOPLE REALIZE THEIR FULLEST
POTENTIAL THROUGH LITERACY AND
IT'S VERY EXCITING TO SEE THIS
CITY COMING TOGETHER AND RISING
UP.
>> LET'S TALK ABOUT THE STATS.
HOW BAD IS IT IN HOUSTON AND --
I WOULD IMAGINE THAT IF A CHILD
LEARNS TO READ, IT CAN ALSO HELP
THE ENTIRE FAMILY.
>> OH, ABSOLUTELY.
I KNOW, WHEN YOU BREAK THE CYCLE
OF LOW LITERACY, YOU CAN BREAK
THE CYCLE OF POVERTY AND THE
INTERGENERATIONAL CYCLE IN A
FAMILY.
SO IT'S SO IMPORTANT FOR US TO
ADDRESS THE CRISIS THAT WE HAVE.
AND HISD ALONE, 60% OF THE
CHILDREN ENTER KINDERGARTEN
LACKING FOUNDATIONAL READING
SKILLS NEEDED TO LEARN --
>> 60%.
>> 60%!
MORE THAN HALF.
>> IF YOU THINK OF HOUSTON, WE
HAVE A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF
CHILDREN WHO DO LIVE IN POVERTY.
38% OF CHILDREN 4 AND YOUNGER
LIVE BELOW THE PERFORMTY LINE.
-- PERFORMTY LINE.
AND 8 -- PARENTY LINE.
AND 84% OF CHILDREN QUALIFY FOR
FREE AND REDUCED LUNCH PROGRAM
THROUGH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
SO IT'S A CHILDREN PORTION OF
CHILDREN IN OUR COMMUNITY WHO
LIVE IN ECONOMICALLY
DISADVANTAGED MEANS.
AND SO BOOKS ARE A LUXURY THAT
THEY SIMPLY JUST CANNOT AFFORD.
>> IT'S A BASIC BUT A LUXURY --
WE THINK OF IT AS A BASIC BUT
FOR MANY PEOPLE IT IS A LUXURY.
THE BARBARA BUSCH HOUSTON
LITERACY FOUNDATION, YOU'
BARNED WITH THE -- PARTNERED
WITH THE HOUSTON SUPER BOWL HOST
COMMITTEE.
TELL US ABOUT THIS PARTNERSHIP.
WHY?
>> FOR US WE REALLY FELT LIKE
THERE WAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO LEND
THE SPOTLIGHT TO ISSUES THAT
WERE IMPORTANT THROUGH OUR
RESIDENTS NO MATTER WHETHER
SUPER BOWL IS HERE OR NOT.
SO WE'VE PARTNERED WITH THE
FOUNDATION AND A NUMBER OF OTHER
LOCAL NONPROFITS FOR READ-ON, TO
MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE HELPING
ENCOURAGE OUR STUDENTS TO BE
READING AND TO READ AT GRADE
LEVEL BY THIRD GRADE.
>> AND I WOULD IMAGINE,
OBVIOUSLY A GIFT OF MONEY IS
FABULOUS, BUT EVEN JUST THAT
GIFT OF TIME AND VOLUNTEERING TO
READ IS ALSO VERY IMPORTANT TO
THE FOUNDATION.
>> IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT.
I VOLUNTEER.
JULIE VOLUNTEERS.
WE HAVE HUNDREDS OF VOLUNTEERS
SIGN UP AT OUR WEBSITE CONNEC
CONNECT4LITERACY.ORG.
AND YOU CAN FIND OPPORTUNITIES
TO HELP ADULTS LEARN TO READ.
YOU CAN FIND OPPORTUNITIES TO
INTERVENE WITH STRUGGLING FIRST
GRADE READERS IN THE WHOLE
SPECTRUM.
IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO DO
THAT.
IT IS.
AND IT BENEFITS NOT JUST THE
BENEFICIARY, THE STUDENT, THE
ADULT OR T KID, BUT IT ALSO --
IT MAKES YOUR HEART GROW BIGGER
WHEN YOU GIVE OF YOUR TIME IN AN
INTERVENTION THAT PROVIDES NOT
JUST MENTORING BUT READING SKILL
DEVELOPMENT.
>> YEAH.
>> AND BY VOLUNTEERING, ONE OF
THE WAYS IS YOU COULD VOLUNTEER
IS LIKE A READING MENTOR TO HELP
A CHILD LIKE TUTOR THEM
ESSENTIALLY?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
WE HAVE PROGRAMS THAT WE PARTNER
WITH ON HISD CALLED READ HOUSTON
READ.
AND GO OUT AND READ AND SIGN UP
WITH -- HELP A CHILD LEARN HOW
TO READ 30 MINUTES A WEEK.
BECAUSE WE'RE KICKING OFF THE
GIVING SEASON, THE SEASON OF
GIVING, WE HAVE A NUMBER OF
HOLIDAY-BASED VOLUNTEER
OPPORTUNITIES THAT ARE POSTED
THAT ARE FAMILY FRBDLY.
SO IT'S -- FRIENDLY.
SO IT'S A GRAY WAY, IN THIS
SEASON OF GIVING, TO DEMONSTRATE
THE POWER OF GIVING BACK AND THE
POWER OF VOLUNTEERISM AND TO
CULTIVATE THAT IN THE NEXT
GENERATION.
IT'S SO IMPORTANT.
SO WE ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO COME
AND VOLUNTEER.
THE STAFF AND SOME OF THE FOLKS
FROM THE HOUSTON SUPER BOWL HOST
COMMITTEE WILL BE OUT
VOLUNTEERING WITH US THROUGH
THAT -- THROUGHOUT THE MONTH OF
DECEMBER.
>> WE CAN'T FORGET THE TACKY
SWEATER HOLIDAY PARTY.
>> ABSOLUTELY NOT.
THAT'S NEXT WEDNESDAY -- NEXT --
DECEMBER 6th --
>> TUESDAY.
>> YES, WITH OUR YOUNG
PROFESSIONALS GROUP.
SO THAT OPPORTUNITY IS POSTED.
WE ENCOURAGE EVERYONE AT STATION
3 IN THE EVENING AND SO WE WILL
BE -- DON YOUR TACKYIST HOLIDAY
GARB AND YOUR BOOKS AND WE'LL
GIVE THEM A THOUSAND CHILDREN
SERVED BY KIDS' MEALS THE NEXT
DAY.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING
OUT.
COUNT US AS TWO NEW VOLUNTEERS
FOR YOU.
>> SIGN ME IN FOR THE UGLY
SWEATER, TOO.
>> IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN
SIGNING UP, YOU CAN VISIT
CONNECT4LITERACY.ORG TO MAKE A
DONATION AND HELP THE FOUNDATION
AND HOUSTON SUPER BOWL COMMITTEE
MEET ITS GOAL.
THANK YOU AGAIN FOR JOINING US.