Bernie's Book Bank

10/14/2026

Greater Milwaukee, get ready for a storybook adventure! 👀🐘🐷

Booksgiving is coming to Bernie’s Book Bank Greater Milwaukee on Saturday, November 14, for a day of books, family fun and giving back. 💚

Last year, we traveled down the yellow brick road to the Wizard of Oz. This year, get ready to join Gerald & Piggie as we sort, sticker and pack books that will help children across Greater Milwaukee build their home libraries and discover the joy of reading.

More books, more fun and more surprises are on the way. We can’t wait to celebrate with you! 📚✨

10/13/2026

A little preview of what’s to come in Greater Milwaukee! 📚💚

Last week we welcomed about 18 volunteers of all ages—family, friends, and longtime supporters who have been part of our journey as Bernie’s Book Bank Greater Milwaukee has grown. After getting a sneak peek tour of our facility, the group rolled up their sleeves and got to work, collectively stickering nearly 1,000 books and mixing 10,000 more to help prepare them for the children who need them most.

We’re so grateful for this community and the people who continue to believe in our mission. This is just the beginning, and we can’t wait to celebrate what’s ahead!

🎉 Join us for our Grand Opening on October 22 as we officially open our doors and take the next step toward building brighter futures across Greater Milwaukee.

10/06/2026

A new chapter is officially underway in Greater Milwaukee!

Yesterday marked the start of our Soft Launch volunteer schedule, and we were thrilled to welcome Kirk, a 50 Hour Club member from our home chapter in Lake Bluff, to volunteer with us. As our first official volunteer, Kirk even left his mark by signing his name in our book vault! ✍️📚

This is just the beginning, and we can’t wait to officially open our doors and celebrate with our Milwaukee community. 🎉

🗓️ Mark your calendars: our Grand Opening is October 22!

We’ll see you there! 💚

10/02/2026

🍂📚 Booksgiving is back! 📚🍂

Join Gerald and Piggie at Bernie’s Book Bank for an unforgettable adventure at our signature fall fundraiser! Celebrate friendship, adventure and giving back in Chicagoland on Saturday, November 7, or in Greater Milwaukee on Saturday, November 14.

Grab your friends and family and spend the afternoon sticking, sorting and packing mountains of books that will make their way into the homes of children across Chicagoland and Greater Milwaukee. 💚📚

If you’ve volunteered with us before, imagine your favorite shift with the volume turned ALL the way up—this year featuring Gerald and Piggie, plus fun activities, entertainment and refreshments!

Choose the morning or afternoon session, whatever works best for you. Space is limited, and we expect both sessions to fill up!

👉 Purchase your tickets + sponsorships through the link in our bio.

See you there!

09/30/2026

We’re so proud to be a part of Illinois Day of Literacy in such an incredible way!

Grateful to the Illinois Literacy Foundation, Illinois State Alliance of YMCAs, and all the generous partners, donors, and volunteers making this possible. Every book shared is a chance to open a new world for a young reader. 📚💚

More than 8,000 books are on their way to young readers across Illinois.

This Wednesday, September 30, the Illinois Literacy Foundation and the Illinois State Alliance of YMCAs will celebrate Illinois Day of Literacy by putting books into the hands of children at 118 early childhood and after-school program sites through 22 YMCAs across the state.

The books - and the opportunities they represent - are possible thanks to generous support from Simon & Schuster, Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, and Bernie's Book Bank; also thanks to countless individual donors and volunteers.

From Chicago to Champaign, from Rockford to Taylorville, from Kankakee to Edwardsville, Wednesday will be a day for reading together, sharing stories, and celebrating the role books can play in a child's life.

09/30/2026

A big milestone for Bernie’s Book Bank Milwaukee!📚 The first delivery of books has arrived at our new facility, bringing us one step closer to opening our doors and getting books into the hands of kids across Milwaukee.

Join us for the Grand Opening on October 22! 🎉📚

09/29/2026

⛳️Thank you to everyone who joined us for the 2026 Bernie Cup at The Bog! And a special thank-you to our proud sponsor, Catalyst Construction, and our captain, Kevin Duffey, for helping make the day possible!

🏆 We have co-champions! In a Bernie Cup first, a review of the scorecards revealed a tie, with two teams each posting an impressive score of 64. Due to special circumstances that prevented the traditional putt-off, we’re proud to recognize both teams as the 2026 Bernie Cup at The Bog co-champions!

👏 Congratulations to:
• Matt Bergan & Billy Geller
• Sean Coykendall & Shaun Geracie

Thank you for helping us build a community of readers in Greater Milwaukee, one book at a time. 📚💚

Stay tuned for details on the 2027 Bernie Cup!

09/28/2026

We’re celebrating Literacy Month with author and illustrator Jacqueline Alcántara! 📚✨

Jacqueline joined us in visiting a few first-grade classrooms at George Armstrong Elementary to read her book, TÍOS AND PRIMOS, and give students a special look at the illustrations that bring the story to life.

Representation in children’s books matters. Every child deserves the chance to open a book and recognize their culture, family, experiences, or even someone who looks like them. When children see themselves in stories, they can feel inspired to become readers and storytellers themselves. 💚📚

Here’s to celebrating the stories that help create better futures for every child.

09/24/2026

📚 The more books children own, the more opportunities they have to grow as readers.

Recently published findings from a five-year randomized controlled trial found that children in Bernie’s Book Bank schools experienced statistically significant reading gains—equivalent to an additional ¼ to ⅓ of a year of learning.

And the impact grew even more for students who received books over multiple years. Those students experienced gains equivalent to approximately 52–65% of a typical school year’s growth. 📈

All for less than $20 per child, per year.

These findings reinforce what we see every day: book ownership matters. When children have books of their own, they have more opportunities to read, explore, learn and build a lifelong relationship with literacy. 💚

Want to help put more books into the hands and homes of children who need them most?

📖 Donate books → New and gently used children’s books are welcome.
🙌 Volunteer → Give your time and help us get books ready for distribution.
💚 Give support → Every gift helps create more opportunities for children to read and grow.

Together, we can build a community of readers.

09/23/2026

What better way to celebrate Literacy Month than by celebrating a new bookstore and the power of books! 📚💚

Bernie’s Book Bank CEO Michael Abello joined the grand opening of The Book Nook in Hinsdale, where the community came together to celebrate a love of reading while supporting children in our community through a book drive benefiting Bernie’s Book Bank.

During Literacy Month, we’re reminded that bookstores play an important role in building communities of readers. When we support local bookstores, we’re supporting spaces where children and families can discover new stories and develop a lifelong love of reading.

Thank you to The Book Nook for welcoming the community and helping put more books into the hands and homes of children who need them most. 💚📖

Visit The Book Nook, support your local bookstore, and consider donating to the book drive for Bernie’s Book Bank!