EASY WAYS TO SUPPORT ABQ READS: Shoppers can help fund the Chamber’s literacy program just by shopping at Smith’s and Walmart

The Chamber has more than 150 volunteer tutors in first-grade and kindergarten classes at Albuquerque Public Schools’ Atrisco, Bel-Air and Whittier elementaries. Tutors provide one-on-one reading instruction to more than 200 students for approximately 90 minutes each week, helping them reach grade-level reading proficiency.

And you can help us provide at least 20 high-quality, curriculum-aligned take-home books to each student, along with school supplies.

Smith’s

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, link to Career Guidance Institute (CGI) – 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.

Walmart

Walmart’s Spark Good program provides shoppers with two ways to help support Albuquerque Reads.

The Chamber is working with Walmart to join its RoundUp program, which allows customers to round up their online or app purchase total, with the change supporting Albuquerque Reads, at checkout. (Walmart says some nonprofits earn up to $500 per month!) If you’re a Walmart shopper, please keep checking at checkout for when this easy way to support our literacy program goes live.

And there is also a registry on Walmart.com for Career Guidance Institute (CGI) – Albuquerque Reads so shoppers can donate everything from early literacy books and activity books to school supplies and gift cards.

Target

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, whether it’s a shopper card or a fundraising night, we’d love to partner with you to give the gift of reading to more children in Albuquerque Public Schools!

And big thank you goes out to all our sponsors, tutors and supporters who make this program possible – we could not do it without you all!

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!