Reach Out and Read Wisconsin

05/13/2026

05/11/2026

May is AANHPI Heritage Month! ✨🌏 Looking for meaningful ways to celebrate with your kids? We’ve put together a vibrant booklist that honors the rich cultures and voices of Asian American, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islander communities — featuring stories that center joy, identity, and heritage.

Let’s uplift these beautiful stories — today and every day! 💛📚

05/10/2026

Motherhood looks different in every family — but love is the common thread. This Mother’s Day, we honor all the incredible caregivers who nurture and guide the children in their lives: mothers, grandmothers, aunts, stepmothers, foster and adoptive parents, moms by choice, and beyond. Your stories, hugs, and moments of care shape brighter futures. 💖

05/08/2026

Our Medical Director, Dr. Dipesh Navsaria, had the opportunity to speak with residents at Marshfield Clinic about the life-changing impact of Reach Out and Read.

Sharing the importance of early literacy and relational health with the next generation of pediatricians ensures that more families across Wisconsin will receive the "prescription" for a lifelong love of reading. 📚✨

05/06/2026

Celebrate National Children's Book Week with our handpicked list of stories that spark imagination and nurture young kids! From curious caterpillars to dancing dinos, we’ve got the cutest stories for you to read with little ones. 🐛🦕

Giggles, cuddles, and the magic of shared reading await!

05/05/2026

Find your nearest Reach Out and Read Wisconsin site! 🌎

With more than 325 sites across the state, we’re making a difference for all Wisconsin's children. 🏥💗

Discover the site closest to your family and join us in supporting early literacy and empowering children through the power of books: reachoutandread.org/find-a-site. 🌟✨

05/04/2026

The statistics tell a powerful story.

Families in Reach Out and Read read together more often — and more confidently — from the very start. Over time, that leads to stronger language skills, more books at home, and deeper connections with your child.

Because when reading is part of your routine, it becomes part of how your child grows.

05/04/2026

What wonderful news!

Congrats SSM Health Greater Fond du Lac. Here's to many more years creating a world where every child has the relationships and resources to learn and thrive.

Many of us can remember a favorite story that was read to us by a parent, sibling, family friend, or teacher. Those moments often leave a lasting impression - creating comfort, connection, and a love of learning that can last a lifetime.

Thanks to a $10,000 gift from the Agnesian HealthCare Foundation, more children in the Fond du Lac community will experience those same meaningful moments through the Reach Out and Read program, which has been supported by the Foundation for numerous years.

The Agnesian HealthCare Foundation’s investment will support the purchase of books for pediatric patients from birth through age five, ensuring that pediatric patients seen at SSM Health Fond du Lac Regional Clinic receive an age-appropriate book during well‑child visits.

Physicians encourage families to read together at home, reinforcing the importance of early literacy as part of a child’s overall health and development.

“Reading aloud to young children is one of the simplest and most effective ways to support brain development, language skills, and emotional bonding,” according to Brenda Grass, MD, an SSM Health Fond du Lac Regional Clinic internal medicine/pediatric physician. “When we give families a book during a wellness visit, we’re not just providing a resource. We’re opening the door to learning, imagination, and connection during a child’s most formative years.”

Research shows that reading regularly to young children:
• Provides special, focused time between parents and children
• Encourages later reading success and school readiness
• Improves language and speech development

Through Reach Out and Read, books become part of routine pediatric care. Families leave each visit not only with guidance on physical health, but also with a tangible tool to support early learning at home.

The Agnesian HealthCare Foundation’s $10,000 gift reflects its commitment to strengthening families and investing in the future of the community.

“Programs like Reach Out and Read demonstrate how a relatively small investment can have an extraordinary impact,” says Mason Gravelle, Philanthropy Director for Agnesian HealthCare Foundation. “By funding books for children ages zero to five, we are helping families build strong foundations for learning while supporting long‑term educational and health outcomes.”

This gift was made possible through the Foundation’s Unrestricted Fund, which allows the Foundation Board to respond to emerging needs and priority initiatives across SSM Health ministries in the greater Fond du Lac area.

“The flexibility of the Unrestricted Fund enables us to support meaningful initiatives like Reach Out and Read when they matter most,” Gravelle adds. “It’s one of the most powerful ways donors can help us make a difference. The Agnesian HealthCare Foundation is proud to support this important work - helping ensure that great stories, and bright futures, begin right here in our community.”

05/01/2026

Second Annual Penny War!

Four Anytime Fitness clubs have brought back their Penny War to benefit Reach Out and Read Wisconsin. Last year, the group of clubs raised $2,360.59 for our program.

We are grateful to these four Anytime Fitness gyms (Anytime Fitness of Cedarburg, Anytime Fitness of West Bend, Germantown Anytime Fitness, Anytime Fitness Hartford for helping to give young children and their families a foundation for success.

We look forward to seeing those pie-in-the-face pictures at the end of the month!

04/29/2026

The impact of Reach Out and Read extends far beyond the clinic walls. 💕📚🩺