Vision: Leveling the playing field and giving all kids a fair chance in an unfair system.

Mission Statement: Next Chapter Foundation will increase self- confidence and the love of reading in youth, by providing FREE diverse book baskets and blessing bags to local public school libraries and local shelters.

Foundation Initiatives:

1. McKenzie’s Helping Hands- donating blessing bags & seasonal necessities to local shelters & non- profit organizations. 

2. See Yourself Daily Book Fund (aka Love, S.Y.D.)- contributing diverse book baskets to
   local youth & public school libraries.

 

Ways You Can Help: 

• Make a monetary donation

• Give new (or lightly used) books that showcase diverse characters, authors, and/ or illustrators. (All book donations can be mailed to Next Chapter Network at 752 N.
  Main St. Mansfield, TX 76063).

Your contributions have helped 375 kids in the Dallas/ Ft Worth Metroplex. Thank you!

Why I Do It:

One mantra I live by is, “when you look good, you feel good.” Children effected by poverty often lack the basic essentials necessary for performing everyday personal care tasks.
Our blessing bags are filled with toothpaste, toothbrushes, combs, soap, lotion, shampoo
& conditioner, maxi-pads, socks, and other bonus items beneficial to the specific season. Presenting these bags to women helps build the confidence needed for increasing their
self- esteem and taking positive steps for improving their lives. Offering #blessingbags to
kids allows them feel “normal” around other kids and focus on their learning instead of
their challenges.

Furthermore, I believe that literacy is the most effective way to eliminate achievement gaps and increase the self- esteem of students. More importantly, I believe that when students see themselves in books, they begin realize that there are extraordinary life experiences awaiting them in the world and they allow themselves to be hopeful. Providing kids with books that showcase diversity empowers students to push beyond their current circumstances, knowing that their DNA is not their destiny and they can break poverty chains.

My passion as an educator was working in low- socio economic schools, but I got tired of trying to explain the effects that poverty and lack of rich diverse materials and staff had on students, so I decided to do something about it. I’m convinced that with your generosity we can change the world.

Social Impact: 

1. Literacy significantly enhances a person’s ability to access, understand, and apply information about health to make accurate decisions (World Literacy Foundation).

2. Literacy promotes gender and race equality as a fundamental condition for the full enjoyment of human rights, and provides better work and socio- economic participation of men and women. 

3.  Low-income and black and Hispanic students are less likely to graduate from high school, less likely to enroll in college, and less likely to graduate from college.

4. Children in poverty are more likely to have poor physical health and experience social deprivation.

​Economic Impact:

1. Illiteracy costs the global economy $1.5 trillion annually. (World Literacy Foundation) 

2. 85% of all teens involved in criminal activities are functionally illiterate.

3. Nearly 2 in 3 children who are extremely impoverished are of minority decent.

Sources: 

1. NCES Achievement Gaps

2. Education Next, Revisiting the Coleman Report, “Equality of Educational Opportunity.”

3. Get the Facts on the Achievement Gap

4. The Children’s Society, What are the effects of child poverty?

Children’s Defense

Love, SYD! See Yourself Daily Book Fund:

Shanee’s SYD Book Fund collects children’s books that showcase diverse populations,
and donates those books to local DFW school libraries. 

Shanee believes in a grassroots approach to improving our nation’s literacy crisis and promoting progress in the effort toward diversifying children’s literature in school libraries.
The Be The Change community takes a varied approach to their local literacy efforts, which may include book drives, recognition of diverse book authors, or other diverse book- based activities.

Vision: To inspire young people to be their best selves and increase their love of reading through the power of literacy that showcases people who look like them.

Mission: To give students more opportunities to see themselves in the books they read at school by donating diverse books to local libraries.

McKenzie’s Helping Hands

MHH was the brainchild of my then 10 year old daughter, McKenzie. She had gone to do community service with me at several local shelters and wanted to do more to help the kids that we met.
 

Vision: To increase self- esteem of kids and teens adversely impacted by poverty &/ or homelessness through the donation of personal hygiene items necessary for achieving daily self- care.
 

Mission: To put blessing bags in the hands of all low- income kids & teens in the Metroplex.

Donate
 

• Info- specify which initiative

  • McKenzie’s Helping Hands- Your contribution will help us provide free blessing bags or diverse books and literacy resources to children from all backgrounds.

  • SYD Book Fund- Your contribution will help us provide free blessing bags or diverse books and literacy resources to children from all backgrounds.
     

• Specify how they will donate: 

  • Monetary donation: $25, $50, $100, other

  • Send books: Mail to: 752 N. Main St. #126 Mansfield, TX 75054

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Make a positive impact today!

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