Our Mission
Raising Readers in the Heartland’s mission is to inspire a life-long love of reading by providing new, high-quality books for ALL children from birth to age five who live in Polk County.
Our Vision
We envision a future where all children who live in Polk County possess the reading and literacy skills needed to reach their full potential.
- We believe that reading is the foundation for all learning.
- We believe children’s reading abilities have the power to change lives and create endless opportunities for children and the communities in which they live.
Our Goals
- To inspire a passion for reading by providing quality reading materials to ALL children who live in Polk County, regardless of location or socioeconomic status.
- To collaborate with children, parents, community leaders, and businesses within Polk County to increase educational equity in reading and literacy.
- To support parents in understanding the relationship between reading and their children’s success by providing resources that highlight developmental milestones and expectations.
Our Board
RRITH is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors.
Dr. Jill Friestad-Tate
President/Treasurer
Jennifer Friestad
Vice-President
Lori Behnami
Secretary
Amber Juffer
Board Member
Shirley Poertner
Board Member
Crystal Rhoads
Board Member