Kari Kurjiaka, Author at Reach Out & Read of Greater NY

Whenever a candidate for mayor, governor or president is elected for the first time, the conversation quickly turns to who will make up their inner circle – and how qualified and capable their top appointees will be. While voters cast their ballots for their favored candidates, the winner’s ability to carry out an agenda largely depends on the abilities of trusted aides and advisers.

It’s a similar dynamic all across the public, private and nonprofit spheres. While CEOs, presidents and executive directors are the public faces of their organizations, agencies, industries or advocacy efforts, there are usually key deputies – vice presidents, program directors, division heads, chiefs of staff – who prove to be just as indispensable in achieving success.

City & State’s inaugural Unsung Heroes list, researched and written in partnership with journalist Lon Cohen, recognizes New Yorkers who are highly effective but operate largely under the radar. The list does include a few presidents, CEOs and executive directors of smaller or less prominent organizations. What unifies everyone on the Unsung Heroes list is that they are movers and shakers who get things done – behind the scenes and out of the spotlight.

Kari Kurjiaka

Director of Literacy and Public Policy, Reach Out and Read of Greater New York

At the nonprofit Reach Out and Read of Greater New York, Kari Kurjiaka oversees initiatives that have delivered over 400,000 books to 230 clinics and partners this year, supporting over 250,000 children while also positioning early literacy as a public health priority through legislative engagement. She built the Book Buying Buddies coalition, expanding collective purchasing power for nonprofits nationwide. A former educator, Kurjiaka’s work at the Clinton Foundation and First Book, where she co-led the national Diverse Books for All Coalition, helped advance equity in childhood education and storytelling.

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New York, NY – October 14, 2025 – Reach Out & Read of Greater New York is delighted to announce that internationally acclaimed author and illustrator Juana Martinez-Neal will receive the 2025 Children’s Literacy Author Award. The award will be presented at the organization’s Annual Benefit, A Book for Every Child, on Tuesday, October 21, 2025, at Tribeca Rooftop in New York City.

Juana Martinez-Neal’s work has touched the lives of millions of young readers through stories that uplift, affirm, and celebrate cultural identity. Her debut picture book as an author-illustrator, Alma and How She Got Her Name (Candlewick Press), was awarded the prestigious Caldecott Honor and quickly became a beloved classic in homes, schools, and libraries across the country. The beloved Alma character inspired her bilingual board book series, Alma’s Words/Las palabras del Alma, perfect for sharing English and Spanish words with youngest language learners. She is a New York Times bestselling illustrator, the recipient of the Robert F. Sibert Medal for Fry Bread: A Native American Story (Roaring Brook), and the Pura Belpré Medal for Illustration for La Princesa and the Pea (Putnam).

Juana has also illustrated many other acclaimed books, including Babymoon (Candlewick Press), Alberto Salas Plays Paka Paka Con La Papa (Roaring Brook), A Gift of Dust (Random House) and I Don’t Care (Neal Porter Books). Other honors include the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) Honor List and the SCBWI Portfolio Showcase Grand Prize.

“Juana’s books embody the joy and belonging that come from seeing your story and culture reflected on the page,” said Emily Marchese, Executive Director of Reach Out & Read of Greater NY. “Her gift for storytelling and illustration is matched by her deep commitment to children everywhere, especially those growing up bilingually or across cultures. She is the perfect recipient of this year’s Children’s Literacy Author Award, and we are honored to recognize her work.”

Hosted by Carol Anne Riddell, award-winning journalist and host of CUNY TV’s Arts in the City and Book It, the evening will include cocktails, dinner, a celebratory awards program, and a spirited auction led by professional auctioneer Pat Tully. Together, the evening will raise critical support to ensure every child across Greater New York receives a book at every pediatric check-up—building stronger families, healthier children, and a brighter, more equitable future.

Event Details
Tuesday, October 21, 2025
6:00 PM – 10:00 PM
Tribeca Rooftop, 2 Desbrosses Street, New York, NY 10013

Purchase tickets: https://onecau.se/abookforeverychild
Event inquiries: gala@reachoutandreadnyc.org

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About Reach Out & Read of Greater NY

For over 25 years, Reach Out & Read of Greater NY has prepared young children for success by partnering with pediatric providers to integrate books and reading guidance into well-child visits, helping families build strong literacy routines and bonds at home. This evidence-based program fosters early literacy, encourages a love of reading, and strengthens family connections to support thriving communities. As part of the nationwide Reach Out & Read, the vibrant network reaches families across the United States, supporting 8.5 million well-child visits annually, including a quarter of a million families in the Greater New York region alone. Through this nationwide work, over six million new books are distributed each year, more than 30,000 medical providers are engaged, and over 6,000 program sites offer reading guidance to families at every routine well-child visit. The Reach Out & Read of Greater NY annual benefit celebrates philanthropists and community champions in the local region committed to advancing early literacy and family well-being. Reach Out & Read of Greater NY’s programs currently reach 39% of children under five in the region, with plans to expand to 50% within the next five years.

To learn more, visit: www.reachoutandreadnyc.org.

Media Contact:
Kari Kurjiaka
Director of Literacy & Public Policy

Reach Out and Read of Greater New York
Email: kkurjiaka@reachoutandreadnyc.org

Phone: 646-893-7333

New York, NY – August 5, 2025 – Reach Out and Read of Greater New York is proud to announce an exciting partnership with Barefoot Books through Book Buying Buddies, an initiative that unites 19 partner organizations to collectively purchase high-quality, culturally reflective English and bilingual books in bulk. This collaboration will enable the distribution of over 200,000 culturally reflective books to children across the country, promoting early literacy and fostering a love of reading at the most critical stage of development.

Through this partnership, Reach Out and Read of Greater New York and participating partners, including 10 additional Reach Out and Read Affiliates and other early literacy organizations, have carefully selected a range of board books and paperbacks that reflect the richness of the communities they serve. Titles include bilingual English/Spanish books, books with diverse characters, and stories that celebrate themes of inclusion, empathy, and family bonding.

“Access to books during early childhood has a profound impact on a child’s ability to develop language, literacy, and social-emotional skills,” said Emily Marchese, Executive Director of Reach Out and Read of Greater New York. “This partnership with Barefoot Books allows us to deliver more books to children who need them most, ensuring that families have the tools they need to build a strong foundation for lifelong learning.”

Since its inception, Book Buying Buddies has enabled over 25 organizations to leverage their collective purchasing power, helping to reduce per-book costs and maximize the reach of early literacy efforts.

We’re proud to join Reach Out and Read of Greater New York and the Book Buying Buddies coalition to get inclusive, high-quality books into the hands of children who need them most,” said Nancy Traversy, CEO and Co-Founder of Barefoot Books. “This collaboration is a testament to the power of collective action—and the profound impact it can have in building a more literate, empathetic, and equitable world.”

Supporting early literacy is more critical than ever. Research shows that children who are read to regularly, starting at birth, develop stronger vocabulary, language, and social-emotional skills, setting the stage for success in school and beyond. Reach Out and Read works closely with pediatricians to integrate books into well-child visits, empowering families to read together and bond through storytelling.

“This partnership is a powerful example of what’s possible when organizations come together with a shared commitment to equity and representation in children’s books,” said Erin Henry, Reach Out and Read’s interim CEO. “Telling the stories of the children, families, communities, and cultures we serve nurtures not only literacy and language, but also a strong sense of identity and belonging. The collaboration between Barefoot Books and Book Buddies demonstrates how we can work together to reach more families nationwide and strengthen early literacy on a large scale.”

Reach Out and Read of Greater New York and its 19 partner organizations are excited to distribute these books starting this summer. Together, they aim to reduce educational disparities, promote early learning, and ensure that all children, regardless of background, have access to the joy and benefits of reading.

About Reach Out and Read of Greater New York

For 25 years, Reach Out and Read of Greater New York has been preparing young children for success in school and life by working with pediatricians and medical providers to integrate books into pediatric care. Each year, Reach Out and Read of Greater New York serves over 250,000 children across 230 clinics in Greater New York, with a focus on serving low-income children and families. Learn more at www.reachoutandreadnyc.org.

About Barefoot Books

Barefoot Books is an award-winning, independent, women-owned children’s book publisher based in Concord, MA. For over 30 years, they have created picture books, board books, activity decks, and singalongs for children aged 0–12 that celebrate diversity, social-emotional learning, global awareness, and sustainability. Their beloved singalong videos have garnered over half a billion views on YouTube, and recent accolades include the Stonewall Book Honor for Marley’s Pride and the Pura Belpré Honor for Benita and the Night Creatures. www.barefootbooks.com.

Media Contact:
Kari Kurjiaka
Director of Literacy & Public Policy, Reach Out and Read of Greater New York
Email: kkurjiaka@reachoutandreadnyc.org | Phone: 646-893-7333

Any of the pediatric waiting rooms at Harmony Healthcare Long Island could easily be mistaken for the children’s section at a local library.

Literacy corners in each of the five Nassau County locations welcome families with rows of diverse, multi-lingual books, child-size chairs and tables, and inviting decorations that remind young patients—even before seeing their doctor—that “Reading Will Take You Everywhere.”

The reading areas, set up through Harmony’s partnership with United Hospital Fund, have created a new culture of literacy at the federally qualified health centers, says pediatrician Suanne Kowal-Connelly, MD.

“We have this ability to promote literacy so you see it—it’s front and center,” said Dr. Kowal-Connelly, who is Harmony’s director of pediatrics and pediatric clinical quality. “It just becomes obvious that literacy matters.”

As one of four pediatric practices participating in the third year of UHF’s early childhood literacy project, Harmony Healthcare received guidance, resource connections, book donations, and $7,500 in funding in 2024 to integrate literacy into its practice.

The partnership came at a particularly fortuitous moment for the health system given that, just a week after joining the UHF project, Harmony was also taken off the waiting list for the national Reach Out and Read program, which provides pediatric practices with books and guidance to foster early literacy and relational health at well-child visits.

With both programs in place, Harmony was able to use the UHF resources to build the waiting room literacy corners, as well as expand book offerings outside the well-child visits, and to patients’ siblings.

“It really launched a whole literacy campaign,” Dr. Kowal-Connelly said. “The literacy corners introduce the idea of the importance of books, and then it continues in the exam room.”

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By AMANDA D’AMBROSIO

Crain’s New York Business

“They are able – through books and libraries – to get out of that mindset and explore other cultures, ideas and experiences,” Ableman said. “They can be an architect; they can be a doctor. They may not be seeing that in their everyday life.”
Dr. Genna Ableman

Pediatrician Dr. Genna Ableman juggles the usual clinical tasks at every wellness visit: measuring a child’s vitals, administering vaccines and talking about nutrition. But she also makes time for what she says is one of the most critical ways to improve a child’s health: reading.

Ableman, director of population health at the community-based medical center Settlement Health in East Harlem, runs an early child literacy program aimed at improving reading levels among her patients. The clinic gives out books to children under 5 years old and encourages parents to read at home. “That’s what you do when you work at a community health center,” Ableman said. “I often say that I focus on the social aspects of kids’ lives more than just straight medicine.”

More pediatricians have begun to use literacy to assess kids’ health in the past decade. Research shows that reading to younger kids can reduce the likelihood of poverty and stress later on in life, prompting leading medical group the American Academy of Pediatrics to recommend last September that doctors counsel parents to read aloud to their kids as early as infancy.

Ableman, the child of two educators, grew up in Sheepshead Bay surrounded by books, prompting her to merge her interests in literacy and health care when she was a medical student. She joined the Reach Out and Read program at New York City Health + Hospitals/Bellevue Hospital early in medical school, not only encouraging children and families to read, but also providing health literacy guidance to parents that helped them understand medication labels and navigate the health care system.

“I knew it was something I wanted to bring wherever I worked,” Ableman said.

Ableman joined Settlement Health in 2016 and quickly became the associate medical director of a residency program that trains early-career doctors from Mount Sinai. Her residents already participated in a Reach Out and Read program, but they wanted to grow literacy work at Settlement Health. In 2022 Ableman partnered with the United Hospital Fund on its early child literacy program to build up reading resources for the approximately 1,600 younger patients at the clinic. Settlement Health received a $7,500 grant to equip its waiting room with culturally appropriate books and mini reading couches, hold book drives and develop tools for parents. The clinic hands out bookmarks to families that list common literacy milestones for kids, including when they might be able to flip the pages of a book on their own or say certain words.

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Reach Out and Read of Greater New York Staff Recognized on the City & State List of 2025 Unsung Heroes

Kari Kurjiaka

About Reach Out and Read of Greater New York

About Barefoot Books