IN THE NAME OF LITERACY: Shoppers can support the Chamber’s Albuquerque Reads with matching store programs

Albuquerque Reads tutors are expected to be back in classes in September working with three elementary schools in Albuquerque.

Albuquerque Reads tutors are expected to be back in classes in September working with three elementary schools in Albuquerque.

The school year is just starting, and Albuquerque Reads tutors will soon be in classes at Atrisco, Bel-Air and Whittier elementary schools.

As the school year rolls on, you can help students learn to read with your regular shopping trips — vendors including Smith’s donate to Albuquerque Reads every time you make a purchase.

ABQ Reads is a Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce tutoring program that partners with Albuquerque Public Schools to improve literacy among kindergarten and first-grade students.

The program involves volunteer tutors who provide one-on-one reading instruction to students for approximately 90 minutes each week, helping students reach grade-level reading proficiency.

Smith’s Inspiring Donations program lets customers donate 0.5% of their eligible spending to local organizations.

Here’s how it works:

  • Create a Digital Account: Customers need to create a digital Smith’s account to participate in the program.
  • Link Your Card to an Organization: Customers can link their Shopper’s Card to an organization by updating the selection on their digital account. In this case, you can link to Albuquerque Reads.
  • Your Organization Earnings: Any transactions using the Shopper’s Card associated with the digital account will be applied to the program, at no added cost to the customer.

Target also partners with shoppers to donate to nonprofits through its Target Circle program.

Each quarter, Target Circle will pick a handful of New Mexico-based nonprofits who can get votes from shoppers. Keep an eye out for when CGI is chosen by Target Circle to donate.

If your company has a similar program, we’d love to partner with you to give the gift of reading to more children in Albuquerque Public Schools!

And Albuquerque Reads always needs tutors – if you’d like to join the Chamber, APS and our great team of volunteer tutors to make a lasting difference in a child’s life, please call, email or click using the program information at left!

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