Three years ago, we started a holiday tradition. Instead of giving gifts to each of our clients and partners, as we had for many years, we asked each Pepper Group employee to choose a charity that had significance to them. We then donated to each of those organizations. We received many heartfelt thanks and expressions of appreciation from our clients and employees alike, along with a collection of captivating and personal stories. We put many of those wishes into end-of-year holiday videos.

This year, we’re continuing our tradition of giving but with a different spin. Instead of selecting many organizations, we gave to one: Bernie’s Book Bank. Bernie’s is Chicago’s leading provider of free, quality books. Over its impressive history, Bernie’s has distributed more than 27 million books (and counting) to underprivileged children. A vast sixty-one percent of low-income children grow up in homes without any books; Bernie’s seeks to fill this gap.

The importance of owning a book can’t be overstated; students who cannot read sufficiently by third grade often struggle to keep pace in school and are four times less likely to finish high school on time, compared to proficient readers. In fact, books in the home are the single biggest indicator of academic success—even more than income, parents’ education and all other factors, according to Jeff McQuillan, author of “The Literacy Crisis: False Claims, Real Solutions.”

The prospects for children without books look even worse when you consider these alarming statistics:

  • 85% of juvenile offenders have problems reading
  • 3 out of 5 people in American prisons can’t read
  • 3 out of 4 people on welfare can’t read
  • 45 million Americans are functionally illiterate

In addition to making a sizable donation to Bernie’s, we organized a local book drive. We also asked each team member to tell us their favorite childhood book; we then donated each book.

Our Vice President and Director of Strategy, Jessie Atchison, chose “The Monster at the End of This Book.” Explaining why she loved it, she said, “What does it teach us? That sometimes we might be a little bit afraid, but if we keep going, you just might find a happy surprise.”

Our Associate Creative Director, Brian Erickson, said, “I chose “The Wild Robot.” This book isn’t from my childhood but from my children’s. When my boys read this book, they couldn’t stop talking about the messages of love, friendship and belonging, and I want to make sure that other children have access to this amazing story.”

Grace Rodi, Pepper Group Account Manager, shared, “My favorite children’s book is “The Brand New Kid” by Katie Couric. I grew up moving a lot. I lived in 17 different homes by the time I was 21. So, I was always the new kid, especially in elementary school. This book taught me how to make friends and not be afraid to stand out and be my own person.”

We hope our donations can help enrich the lives of children in Chicagoland and help them lead more successful lives. In the immortal words of Dr. Seuss, “The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more you learn, the more places you’ll go.”

What’s your favorite childhood book? We’re confident you’ll find it at Bernie’s Book Store. See all our team’s favorites in our 2024 holiday video.