Mercy Housing recently partnered with the Raising A Reader program to help children gain the reading skills they need to succeed. Children who participate in the program are given a Raising A Reader book bag with several age-appropriate books to share with their parents. Research shows that the most important activity for building the knowledge required for success in reading is when parents are involved in reading aloud to their children (Shumow, 2010).  Every week, the bags are rotated into children’s homes, with approximately 100 books coming through each child’s house every year!