Advisory Board Home  |   |   

Huntingdon County, PA

First Book provides new books to children in need, addressing one of the most important factors affecting literacy access to books. An innovative leader in social enterprise, each year First Book distributes millions of free and low-cost books to disadvantaged children and the programs that serve them.

We are located in south central Pennsylvania in a rural county, the home of Lake Raystown and Juniata College.  As of September 2011, Huntingdon County had the 7th highest unemployment rate of the 67 counties in Pennsylvania.  State budget cuts have forced the closure of our two branch libraries and the Book Mobile.  “Presence of books in the home is shown to be a significant predictor of a child’s academic success.  Children who grow up with books in their homes reached a higher level of education than those who did not.”  (Family Scholarly Culture and Educational Success:  Books and Schooling in 27 nations published in Research and Social Stratification and Mobility.)  Most of the children we serve have no books in the home. 

Launched in 2003, the local First Book Advisory Board began distributing new books in the fall of 2004.  To date we have delivered over 25,000 books to children in our county.  More than 97% of the funds raised by First Book-Huntingdon are used to purchase new children’s books at low cost directly from publishers.

Parents of First Book recipients report:

“My daughter is really interested in books now.  We read every night.”

”My husband and I are amazed that my child is so excited about books. He never would let us read to him before.  Thank you for the books.”

A supervisor from the Home Nursing Agency/Nurse-Family Partnership which serves low income women during their first pregnancy wrote:

“I can’t begin to express our gratitude for this opportunity.  Due to limited funding for our program supplies, it would have been impossible to provide a book program for our families of this magnitude and quality.  We feel blessed to have been the recipients of this grant so that we can share and instill the love of reading in our families and their children.”

How to Receive Books

There are three ways in which First Book distributes books: through a network of volunteer Advisory Boards located across the country, through the First Book National Book Bank, and through the First Book Marketplace.

First Book-Huntingdon County provides new books to children through eligible community organizations like preschools, day care, after-school, and tutoring/mentoring programs. We accept book grant applications from local literacy programs that serve 70% or more children from low-income households. The children take home and keep the books that they receive.

First Book provides new books to children through eligible community organizations in the United States that serve children from low-income households. First Book does not provide direct financial support, nor does it provide books to individuals or to book drives. Most of the groups First Book serves are preschools, day care, after-school, and tutoring/mentoring programs.  

If you would like to learn more, please see Register with First Book.

For information on how to apply for a grant from our board, download the Grant Guidelines and Application (doc).

Book Grant Recipients

A typical book grant lasts for a six month period and offers each child in the program a steady diet of books (usually one book per month), all at no cost to the program. Because program administrators select the titles from the First Book Marketplace, our book grants enable programs — often for the first time — to select books to integrate into curriculum.

The following are some of the organizations that have received book grants from First Book-Huntingdon:

• Early Head Start
• PreSchool Head Start in Orbisonia, Broad Top, Juniata Valley, Huntingdon, Mount Union, and Mapleton
• First Choice Child Care-Mount Union
• Home Nursing Agency:  Nurse/Family Partnership
• J. C. Blair Hospital and Partial Hospitalization Program
• Salvation Army
• Big Brothers, Big Sisters
• Huntingdon House
• Food Pantries—Huntingdon, Orbisonia, and Mount Union
• Keystone Child Care Centers
• J.C. Blair Partial Hospitalization
• Huntingdon County Pride: Early Intervention

Local Sponsors and Donors

Our Yearly goal is to distribute 4-6 books to eligible children in Huntingdon County.  You can help us reach this goal.  With a $25 donation, we will be able to purchase 10 books.

We are able to provide brand-new, high-quality books to children in our community thanks to the generous financial contributions of individuals and businesses including:

• Acco Brands (formerly Mead-Westvaco)
• Community State Bank
• Kiwanis—Mount Union
• Kiwanis—Huntingdon
• Ronald McDonald House Charities
• Target
• Kohl’s Department Store
• Wolf-Kuhn Foundation
• Curves International
• Mimi’s Restaurant
• Boxer’s Café
• AAUW—Huntingdon Chapter
• Pennsylvania Association of Retired School Employees—Huntingdon County Chapter.

First Book Wants You! 

We are looking for passionate, entrepreneurial people who want to make a difference in their community. Help us get books to kids who need them most.

Mailing Address

Contact Us

You can contact us by sending an email.