As many Laredoans have heard, we are losing our last bookstore, B. Dalton's in Mall Del Norte. B. Dalton's/Barnes & Noble sponsored a book fair earlier this year during our 2009 One City, One Book program. A percentage of the profits benefitted our foundation. Manager Mary Benavides worked at B. Dalton's for more than 30 years and was an active participant in the foundation's activities. Mary is the cornerstone of our foundation - she made sure our author's books were available and helped spread the word about One City, One Book to Laredo's literary circles and other members of the community.
--Sonia Nazario has written a blog post detailing her trip to Laredo. We encourage everybody to read it and keep up with Ms. Nazario's posts.
http://sonianazario.blogspot.com/2009/12/president-obama-has-said-that-he-will.html
--The Wall Street Journal has published an in-depth article about Laredo losing its last bookstore, and the city's literacy problems. The foundation and our president are mentioned in the slide show. Take a look.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB126117299083897611.html
We are making plans for next year's author visit. We welcome any suggestions for authors and/or books to concentrate on for the 2010 One City, One Book. Shoot us a comment or an e-mail at laredofoodforthought@yahoo.com.
A big thanks to everyone who made this year's One City, One Book such a memorable experience for the author and its participants. You do the city proud.
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Read-a-thon
Here are a couple of pictures from the read-a-thon that was held last Saturday at various United Independent School District schools.
Food for Thought provided prizes for the winners at J.B. Alexander High School, including 27 $10 Barnes & Noble gift certificates. We had a great turnout.
More pictures will be up soon. Keep reading!
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Last Film Screening Correction
Our last film screening will be this Tuesday, September 22, at the Laredo Public Library, from 6-8 p.m. We apologize for the wrong date on this blog in the schedule. Although this was the original date, the library closes early on Monday. Hope to see everyone there Tuesday. Also, if you want to bring cans of food, we will be accepting them at the library Tuesday evening during the screening. Thanks for all the food and all the help making this one of the best-read books in Laredo.
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Upcoming book discussion, food drive, media
The next book discussion is coming up!
Book Discussion 3
Saturday, September 12, 2 - 4 p.m.
Laredo Public Library
We hope you will join. Our discussions get a dialogue going within the community and breeds understanding between people on all sides of the immigration debate. We believe the book, however, is a simple story that anybody could relate to.
The schedule says a food drive is planned this Sunday, but it has been moved because of conflicts. We are planning another drive to make up for it in November to go along with HOSA week. You can still bring cans to the upcoming book discussions to receive tickets for Ms. Nazario's visit.
$120 will feed a family of four for a year through the food bank and Feed America. Every bit counts!
In other news, there was an article in the LareDOS paper about The Food for Thought Foundation and Sonia Nazario's visit.
http://www.laredosnews.com/info.php?id=55
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Food Drive: Success!
The food drive was a wonderful success! We collected 1,238 cans of food, or 3/4 of a ton. Thanks to everybody who came, donated and participated.
We'd also like to thank Rene Rios and H.E.B. Plus for graciously allowing us to hold our food drive / health fair in front of the store.
The next food drive will be on September 13th. More details to come for that.
Hunger fact from South Texas Food Bank Web site:
- 34,269 Webb County children live under the poverty line - enough to fill 714 school buses. If these buses were parked bumper to bumper, they would stretch 8.2 miles.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
This Saturday: Food Drive / Health Fair
Hello all! We're continuing our One City, One Book festivities with a food drive that will take place this Saturday at H.E.B. Plus. The health magnet school from J.B. Alexander High will be there conducting a mini health fair, so come along, donate some food and visit for a while! All food items will benefit local food banks.
What: Food drive / mini health fair
Where: In front of the H.E.B. Plus store on Bob Bullock Loop.
When: Saturday, August 29, 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.
**If you bring your 5 non-perishable food items, we will give out coupons for Sonia Nazario's lecture at the civic center. Remember that you must also attend a book discussion or film screening to fully qualify for a ticket to her talk. You will receive a coupon at the book discussion/film screening. Both coupons can be turned in for a ticket).
Together, we CAN help others.
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Turnout
We had a great turnout at the first book discussion and we're looking forward to even more at the next one. Even people who hadn't started reading the book or weren't finished had plenty to say about family and immigration issues. We encourage you to come even if you haven't read the book yet. B. Dalton's Booksellers will be selling the book and the book discussion is a great way to get introduced to the themes in Enrique's Journey.
For people who haven't attended a book discussion yet and are looking to go, we'd like to clarify that if you arrive with food, you will be given one coupon before the discussion. Hold on to that coupon and near the end of the discussion, you will be given another coupon verifying you attended. At the end, turn in both coupons to receive a ticket to Sonia Nazario's talk at the Laredo Civic Center.
And don't forget!
2nd book discussion @
Wednesday, August 19, 6 - 8 p.m. in
the Sue & Radcliffe Killam Library Great Room, 3rd floor
There will be staff and signs to help you find your way. We hope to see you there!
First Book Discussion
Today is our first book discussion at TAMIU. It runs from 3 - 5 p.m. and we are accepting food donations to go toward Sonia Nazario's talk at the Civic Center.
If you can't stay for the discussion, drop by and bring 5 non-perishable food items as the food bank will be there to collect it. There will also be a booth from B. Dalton Booksellers selling Enrique's Journey.
Hope to see you there. Remember:
1st book discussion
@ TAMIU Sue & Radcliffe Killam Library Great Room, 3rd floor
3 - 5 p.m.
If you can't stay for the discussion, drop by and bring 5 non-perishable food items as the food bank will be there to collect it. There will also be a booth from B. Dalton Booksellers selling Enrique's Journey.
Hope to see you there. Remember:
1st book discussion
@ TAMIU Sue & Radcliffe Killam Library Great Room, 3rd floor
3 - 5 p.m.
Friday, August 14, 2009
Empty Bowls & Hunger Fact of the Day
Hope everybody is having a pleasant day. I just added a picture from last night's Empty Bowls fundraiser. Our president and secretary attended and Gerda Weissmann Klein's bowl was featured as one of the bowls up for auction. The folk rock band America played.
We believe education breeds understanding and compassion for others, so we'd like to feature a fact about hunger that you may not have known about.
According to Care:
We believe education breeds understanding and compassion for others, so we'd like to feature a fact about hunger that you may not have known about.
According to Care:
- Six million children under the age of 5 die every year as a result of hunger.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Web Sites of Interest
Here are some resources for more information on the themes we are focusing on and our author. Take a minute to browse through - you might find something you're interested in. I'll also be uploading some photos from the August 3 press conference, so check back soon for those.
Facts about Immigration and Genealogy
Facts about Immigration and Genealogy
- The Immigration History Research Center (www.ihrc.umn.edu/ )
- U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Teacher/Student Resources (http://uscis.gov/graphics/aboutus/history/teacher/Resources.htm )
- AAD Project ( http://aad.english.ucsb.edu/basicfacts.html )
- Ellis Island (http://www.ellisisland.org/ ) (www.historychannel.com/ellisisland/index2.html ) (www.nps.gov/elis/ )
- U.S. Government ( http://www.usa.gov/Citizen/Defense/Citizenship.shtml )
Facts about Hunger
- Care ( http://www.care.org/campaigns/world-hunger/facts.asp )
- Meals for Millions ( http://www.gbgm-umc.org/mfm/hunger_facts.htm )
- Texas Food Bank Network ( http://www.endhungerintex.org/facts.asp )
- The Gleaning Network of Texas ( http://www.gleantexas.org/ )
Sonia Nazario
- Enrique’s Journey Official Web site ( http://www.enriquesjourney.com/ )
- Sonia Nazario’s Blog ( http://sonianazario.blogspot.com/ )
- L.A. Times Articles by Nazario ( http://articles.latimes.com/writers/sonia-nazario )
- Reviews of Enrique’s Journey
( http://www.reviewsofbooks.com/enriques_journey/ )
Monday, August 10, 2009
Other Titles of Interest as Read-alongs for Enrique’s Journey
First, we want to remind everybody that the first book discussion for Enrique's Journey is coming up.
When: 3 - 5 p.m.
Where: Sue & Radcliffe Killam Library Great Room, 3rd Floor
Other info: You may bring your own refreshments.
These are recommendations for other books to read dealing with the same themes in Sonia Nazario's Enrique's Journey.
The Jungle Upton Sinclair
Kaffir Boy Mark Mathabane
The Immigrants Howard Fast
Huckleberry Finn Mark Twain
A Nation of Immigrants John F. Kennedy
Call Us Americans Dorothy Chernoff
Ashes of Roses Mary Jane Auch
Lord of the Rings J.R.R. Tolkien
Journey Patricia MacLachlan
The Odyssey Homer
Night Fires Dr. George Stanley
When: 3 - 5 p.m.
Where: Sue & Radcliffe Killam Library Great Room, 3rd Floor
Other info: You may bring your own refreshments.
These are recommendations for other books to read dealing with the same themes in Sonia Nazario's Enrique's Journey.
The Jungle Upton Sinclair
Kaffir Boy Mark Mathabane
The Immigrants Howard Fast
Huckleberry Finn Mark Twain
A Nation of Immigrants John F. Kennedy
Call Us Americans Dorothy Chernoff
Ashes of Roses Mary Jane Auch
Lord of the Rings J.R.R. Tolkien
Journey Patricia MacLachlan
The Odyssey Homer
Night Fires Dr. George Stanley
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Press Release
This is the press release we handed out to all the media at the press conference yesterday.
In other news, Laredo City Council has officially waived all fees for the use of the Laredo Civic Center. It was a unanimous vote!
Pulitzer Prize-winning author headlines One City, One Book
Food drives, book discussions among planned activities
Laredo, TX – Sponsors of the second annual One City, One Book festival that brought Holocaust survivor, Academy Award winner, and author Gerda Weissmann Klein last year have unveiled this year’s author and book.
Sonia Nazario, author of Enrique’s Journey, will visit the city to speak at various arenas, including the Laredo Civic Center, from September 24 – 25. Enrique’s Journey is the true story of a Honduran boy who journeys thousands of miles to find his mother in the United States.
The Food for Thought Foundation, the Laredo Public Library, the City of Laredo, TAMIU, LCC, UISD and LISD, along with local businesses, are sponsoring the event.
“This year’s theme focuses on family, including genealogy and immigration,” said Annie Treviño, treasurer of the foundation and J.B. Alexander High School English teacher. “We have within us a hunger to belong and to connect with others; as a result, we seek family in its many forms. The Laredo family tree, with roots extending around the globe, has produced a diverse community with branches extending across the city. Unity and diversity - we are Laredo.”
Nazario’s book traces that urge to connect with family and takes readers along on the journey.
“My hope is that the book takes people inside a world that they might not otherwise go,” said Nazario in a July interview with the Food for Thought Foundation. “That it does put a human face on these millions of people who for many of us are either people in our families or our neighbors or people who work in our communities.”
The former Los Angeles Times reporter first wrote the book as a series of articles for the Times, tracing Enrique’s steps across Guatemala and Mexico. The articles won the 2003 Pulitzer Prize for Feature Writing and the accompanying photographs by Don Bartletti won the Pulitzer Prize for Feature Photography.
“Enrique’s Journey is a story of America,” said Carmen Escamilla, secretary for the foundation and J.B. Alexander High School librarian. “One City grew out of an earnest yearning to engage Laredoans in reading by inquiry and self-reflection.”
The Food for Thought Foundation was started in March 2008 to combat hunger and illiteracy in Laredo. Escamilla came up with the idea to bring the One City, One Book program to Laredo after studying about similar programs across the nation.
Nazario will arrive at the Laredo International Airport at 5:50 p.m. on September 23 and will first speak at a press conference from 7 – 9 p.m. that same evening at La Posada Hotel, where the author will also stay. La Posada has been designated as the official hotel for One City, One Book authors.
The activities throughout August and September, including four book discussions, two movie screenings and four food drive days, will lead up to the author’s speech, A Conversation with Sonia Nazario on September 24, 6 – 8 p.m. at the Laredo Civic Center. In order to receive a ticket to the talk, members of the public must attend one book discussion or film screening and donate five non-perishable food items. The items will benefit local food banks.
The Laredo Public Library has 50 copies of the book in English and 20 in Spanish available for checkout. The library will also help sponsor the book discussions and screenings of Under the Same Moon, the 2007 film that was inspired by the book.
B. Dalton Booksellers at Mall Del Norte is selling the paperback and a limited amount of hard cover copies of Enrique’s Journey in English and Spanish.
“I wanted the book published in Spanish so a lot of Latinas would really think about it and say, ‘If I leave my children, should it be for two years instead of 10 years? Should I bring them with me?’” Nazario said. “‘Should I stay in my home country because, yes, I know the benefits of coming here, but let me consider the consequences 10 years from now?’”
B. Dalton will also sponsor a “Back-to-School” book fair as part of One City, One Book activities, with part of the proceeds going toward next year’s activities.
The Library of Congress’s “One Book” Web site states, “‘One Book’ projects, initiated by the Washington Center for the Book in 1998, are being introduced across the U.S.A. and around the world.”
# # #
Members of the media and public are encouraged to visit laredofoodforthought.blogspot.com for a full calendar of events, updates and further information involving One City, One Book. For more information or an article about Sonia Nazario, you may contact Cristina Herrera at 956-286-8706 or cherrera@mail.utexas.edu.
To get more information on the Laredo Public Library’s activities concerning One City, One Book, call Pam Burrell at 795-2400, ext. 2268 or go to www.laredolibrary.org.
In other news, Laredo City Council has officially waived all fees for the use of the Laredo Civic Center. It was a unanimous vote!
Pulitzer Prize-winning author headlines One City, One Book
Food drives, book discussions among planned activities
Laredo, TX – Sponsors of the second annual One City, One Book festival that brought Holocaust survivor, Academy Award winner, and author Gerda Weissmann Klein last year have unveiled this year’s author and book.
Sonia Nazario, author of Enrique’s Journey, will visit the city to speak at various arenas, including the Laredo Civic Center, from September 24 – 25. Enrique’s Journey is the true story of a Honduran boy who journeys thousands of miles to find his mother in the United States.
The Food for Thought Foundation, the Laredo Public Library, the City of Laredo, TAMIU, LCC, UISD and LISD, along with local businesses, are sponsoring the event.
“This year’s theme focuses on family, including genealogy and immigration,” said Annie Treviño, treasurer of the foundation and J.B. Alexander High School English teacher. “We have within us a hunger to belong and to connect with others; as a result, we seek family in its many forms. The Laredo family tree, with roots extending around the globe, has produced a diverse community with branches extending across the city. Unity and diversity - we are Laredo.”
Nazario’s book traces that urge to connect with family and takes readers along on the journey.
“My hope is that the book takes people inside a world that they might not otherwise go,” said Nazario in a July interview with the Food for Thought Foundation. “That it does put a human face on these millions of people who for many of us are either people in our families or our neighbors or people who work in our communities.”
The former Los Angeles Times reporter first wrote the book as a series of articles for the Times, tracing Enrique’s steps across Guatemala and Mexico. The articles won the 2003 Pulitzer Prize for Feature Writing and the accompanying photographs by Don Bartletti won the Pulitzer Prize for Feature Photography.
“Enrique’s Journey is a story of America,” said Carmen Escamilla, secretary for the foundation and J.B. Alexander High School librarian. “One City grew out of an earnest yearning to engage Laredoans in reading by inquiry and self-reflection.”
The Food for Thought Foundation was started in March 2008 to combat hunger and illiteracy in Laredo. Escamilla came up with the idea to bring the One City, One Book program to Laredo after studying about similar programs across the nation.
Nazario will arrive at the Laredo International Airport at 5:50 p.m. on September 23 and will first speak at a press conference from 7 – 9 p.m. that same evening at La Posada Hotel, where the author will also stay. La Posada has been designated as the official hotel for One City, One Book authors.
The activities throughout August and September, including four book discussions, two movie screenings and four food drive days, will lead up to the author’s speech, A Conversation with Sonia Nazario on September 24, 6 – 8 p.m. at the Laredo Civic Center. In order to receive a ticket to the talk, members of the public must attend one book discussion or film screening and donate five non-perishable food items. The items will benefit local food banks.
The Laredo Public Library has 50 copies of the book in English and 20 in Spanish available for checkout. The library will also help sponsor the book discussions and screenings of Under the Same Moon, the 2007 film that was inspired by the book.
B. Dalton Booksellers at Mall Del Norte is selling the paperback and a limited amount of hard cover copies of Enrique’s Journey in English and Spanish.
“I wanted the book published in Spanish so a lot of Latinas would really think about it and say, ‘If I leave my children, should it be for two years instead of 10 years? Should I bring them with me?’” Nazario said. “‘Should I stay in my home country because, yes, I know the benefits of coming here, but let me consider the consequences 10 years from now?’”
B. Dalton will also sponsor a “Back-to-School” book fair as part of One City, One Book activities, with part of the proceeds going toward next year’s activities.
The Library of Congress’s “One Book” Web site states, “‘One Book’ projects, initiated by the Washington Center for the Book in 1998, are being introduced across the U.S.A. and around the world.”
# # #
Members of the media and public are encouraged to visit laredofoodforthought.blogspot.com for a full calendar of events, updates and further information involving One City, One Book. For more information or an article about Sonia Nazario, you may contact Cristina Herrera at 956-286-8706 or cherrera@mail.utexas.edu.
To get more information on the Laredo Public Library’s activities concerning One City, One Book, call Pam Burrell at 795-2400, ext. 2268 or go to www.laredolibrary.org.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
A Reminder
You are invited!
What: One City, One Book press conference
Why: To unveil the 2009 author and officially launch One City, One Book festivities
Where: The Laredo Public Library's foyer/lobby
When: Monday, August 3 at 10 am
We hope to see you there.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Final meeting
Annie T. is talking right now at our final meeting before the One City, One Book launch. The press conference/launch date for festivities will be Monday, August 3 at 10 AM at the Laredo Public Library's lobby.
We will have some high profile local politicians attending and like last year, B. Dalton will set up a booth to sell the book.
Feeling pretty busy right now, but the excitement is palpable.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Schedule
My apologies for the delay, but the schedule for the festivities have had to undergo many changes before we could post it. Check out the link to the schedule to see what we have planned for this year's One City, One Book. With last year's success, everybody is excited for this year's author.
Word also has it that one of our founders might be working on a Web site for the Food for Thought Foundation. Yay, technology!
Word also has it that one of our founders might be working on a Web site for the Food for Thought Foundation. Yay, technology!
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Meeting
We are meeting right now, planning for One City, One Book and sharing our excitement about the Pulitzer Prize-winning author visiting this year. A tentative schedule will be up later today in the Current section, so make sure to check back.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Gearing up for One City, One Book 2009
We had a great 2008, as shown through our blog posts and pictures. One City, One Book went better than we could have ever hoped.
One City, One Book 2009 will concentrate on immigration and border issues. We are excited to say that we have a major award-winning author coming at the end of September. We will also have roundtables designed to discuss concerns from the people of Laredo and brainstorm possible solutions.
If you're interested in being heard or helping this year, please e-mail, call or comment. Our goal is to involve as many people as possible. If you attended last year's events, you know how life-changing the experience is. If you didn't, this is your chance to make a difference in your life and the lives of others.
More details to come as they materialize! Muchas gracias.
One City, One Book 2009 will concentrate on immigration and border issues. We are excited to say that we have a major award-winning author coming at the end of September. We will also have roundtables designed to discuss concerns from the people of Laredo and brainstorm possible solutions.
If you're interested in being heard or helping this year, please e-mail, call or comment. Our goal is to involve as many people as possible. If you attended last year's events, you know how life-changing the experience is. If you didn't, this is your chance to make a difference in your life and the lives of others.
More details to come as they materialize! Muchas gracias.
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