Nerd Night @ Knight Watch Games Benefiting Book Buddies

Join us from 2pm-10pm for a full day of board gaming in support of Book Buddies. Nerd Night is holding a book drive to collect books for this year’s fairs. We will have Knight Watch’s library at our disposal, or bring your own games to play while you make new gaming buddies. Bring a book to donate, stay and play games all day!

Book Idea List HERE. You can donate any kids book appropriate for K-5th Grade: https://smile.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/1WZZHJYQ11YRJ?&sort=price-asc

(Hint: Shop at smile.amazon.com and select San Antonio Nerd Night as your charity! We receive a tiny donation at no cost to you with every purchase.)

Book Buddies is an initiative of San Antonio Youth Literacy. Book Buddies collects books suitable for kids in kindergarten through 5th grade and distributes them at the end of the school year in free book fairs at their Reading Buddy Schools.

At these book fairs, children choose books to take home to read over the summer, which helps prevent the “summer slide” — a regression in learning over summer vacation when they are not being actively taught. Studies also show that children who grow up in homes without books, and who are not read to as children, are far more likely to fall behind in school, fail to complete high school, and suffer the unfortunate outcomes associated with failure: drug use, criminal behavior, early pregnancy, etc.

San Antonio Youth Literacy developed Book Buddies as an offshoot of their Reading Buddy program, which exists in San Antonio Title 1 schools where at least 75% of the families are below the poverty line. Children at these schools attend the free book fairs at the end of the school year and take the books home and keep them as their own. They can read them over the summer, share them with family and friends, or even their parents. In many cases these donated books are the only books in the home. An added benefit is that children in more advantaged homes learn to share their no longer needed books with another child. Everybody wins!

Nerd Night @ Knight Watch Games Benefiting Book Buddies2018-04-03T07:54:36-06:00

Nerd Night @ Geekdom Benefiting Book Buddies

Join us on April 13th from 7pm-midnight for a night of board gaming in support of Book Buddies. Nerd Night is holding a book drive to collect books for this year’s fairs. Bring your new or gently used children’s books to the Geekdom Event Centre. We will have our game library to share or bring your own games to play while you make new gaming buddies.

Book Idea List HERE: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/1WZZHJYQ11YRJ?&sort=price-asc

Book Buddies is an initiative of San Antonio Youth Literacy. Book Buddies collects books suitable for kids in kindergarten through 5th grade and distributes them at the end of the school year in free book fairs at their Reading Buddy Schools.

Children choose books to take home to read over the summer, which helps prevent the “summer slide” — a regression in learning over summer vacation when they are not being actively taught. Studies also show that children who grow up in homes without books, and who are not read to as children, are far more likely to fall behind in school, fail to complete high school, and suffer the unfortunate outcomes associated with failure: drug use, criminal behavior, early pregnancy, etc.

San Antonio Youth Literacy developed Book Buddies as an offshoot of their Reading Buddy program, which exists in San Antonio Title 1 schools where at least 75% of the families are below the poverty line. Children at these schools attend the free book fairs at the end of the school year and take the books home and keep them as their own. They can read them over the summer, share them with family and friends, or even their parents. In many cases these donated books are the only books in the home. An added benefit is that children in more advantaged homes learn to share their no longer needed books with another child. Everybody wins!

Nerd Night @ Geekdom Benefiting Book Buddies2018-04-03T07:43:03-06:00

April Wrap-Up; Big News!

So I’m waaaaaaaay late with my April wrap-up post, apologies. It’s been a hectic few weeks. We had a successful evening a couple of weeks ago, you guys outdid yourselves with the donations once again. It’s very much appreciated.

I think we’ve finally figured out the right way to seat people at Geeks Café, so our overcrowding issues should be much alleviated. If that kept anyone away this last time, please come out and see us in May. I promise it will be better. We’re making much better use of the space, and we’ve obtained more chairs and tables. Thank you to Geeks Café for being such a great partner for this event every month. You guys are amazing.

Some pictures from the night… Not as many as usual due to operator (me) error:

Samantha, Sean and Stephanie playing Evolution

Samantha, Sean and Stephanie playing Evolution

Game Library

Game Library

Name Tags!

Name Tags!

 

SAAF Nerd Night Donations

Judy from SAAF posing Vanna-style with the donations table.

Our Big News

The 501(c)(3) is FILED! Hopefully our application will sail through in ways that defy everything any of us know about the IRS and we’ll have some good news to report on that front soon.

Also Very Big News

In June, we will begin hosting a second monthly event. This event will be a Sunday afternoon/evening version of Nerd Night, and we will have date, location, and all that good stuff ready to announce at the beginning of May.

Other (less, but no less awesome) Big News

We had our quarterly board meeting last weekend, and boy, are you guys going to be excited when some of the things we’re planning are ready to be made public! We’ve just about finalized the rest of the year’s partner organizations, and I think you guys will really be able to get behind all of these groups. We’re thrilled to be hosting book drives for Book Buddies at both of our next events (International Tabletop Day at Wonderland Mall and May Nerd Night), and I will be updating our calendar here to reflect all the groups we’ve made arrangements with through the end of the year. Some new faces, some old ones that we just enjoyed a heck of a lot.

As always, I want to express my gratitude for the support and generosity that you all have shown at every single Nerd Night event so far. None of this would be possible without all of you. Hope to see everyone at ITTD at Wonderland Mall on April 30th! Come on out and support a pile of local gaming organizations at the largest local ITTD event!

April Wrap-Up; Big News!2016-11-25T10:59:33-06:00

Charity Spotlight: San Antonio AIDS Foundation

About The San Antonio AIDS Foundation

The San Antonio AIDS Foundation was founded in 1986 by Papa Bear, aka Robert Edwards, to respond to the medical and social crisis of AIDS in the 1980s at a time when many were afraid and there was little assistance for people who were sick. SAAF’s mission is to provide compassionate medical care and social services to people with HIV/AIDS, and to help prevent the spread of HIV through education, counseling and testing.

SAAF began in the back of a bar with an all-volunteer-staffed hospice and seven clients, and has grown into a multi-service agency reaching thousands of individuals every year with healthcare, support services and prevention education outreach. All the services provided are free, with a requested sliding scale donation for those who can pay.

SAAF is the only organization in Texas that offers residential HIV/AIDS special care/hospice facilities and is the largest licensed HIV/AIDS special care facility in the state. They also operate Carson House, a 20-bed transitional housing facility for HIV-positive homeless individuals, and the only mobile HIV-testing unit in Bexar County.

Some of the services SAAF offers are:

  • Testing and Education
  • Special Care Facility and Hospice Care
  • Case Management
  • Hot Meal Program
  • Short-Term Transitional Housing
  • Dental Assistance

San Antonio Nerd Night will be partnering with SAAF this month to collect items to support the needs of their in-house and transitional housing clients. Please join us as we help SAAF further their mission of compassionate care for all those with HIV/AIDS without discrimination on any basis. Nerd Night is Friday, April 8th, and needed items are:

Men’s Boxer Underwear (M/L)
Men’s Slippers
Men’s T-Shirts (M/L)
Men’s Socks
Men’s Flip Flops (11-13)
Women’s Flip Flops (S/M/L)
Men’s and Women’s Deodorant
Furniture (primarily Dressers/Nightstands)
Used DVDs
Dish Soap
Cleaning Sponges
Bed Sheets, Twin (Fitted and Flat)
Bath Towels

 

 

Charity Spotlight: San Antonio AIDS Foundation2016-11-25T10:59:34-06:00

April Nerd Night: San Antonio AIDS Foundation

April’s partner organization is the San Antonio AIDS Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit with a dual mission – to provide compassionate medical care and social services to people with HIV/AIDS, and to help prevent the spread of HIV through education, counseling and testing.

The San Antonio AIDS Foundation exists to provide dignity and comfort to individuals infected with HIV and AIDS. SAAF was founded in 1986 by Papa Bear, aka Robert Edwards, a local bar owner who responded to the medical and social crisis at a time when most were afraid. SAAF began as a volunteer-staffed hospice in the back of a bar and has evolved to  a multi-service agency reaching thousands on individuals every year through healthcare, support services and educational outreach.

Some of SAAF’s services include:

  • Testing and Education including free HIV and syphilis rapid testing, hepatitis-C and tuberculosis testing.
  • Special Care Facility and Hospice Care licensed by the state, providing 24-hour care, substance abuse and pastoral counseling, nutritional counseling, administration of medication, transportation to appointments, and medication reviews.
  • Case Management coordinating care and linking clients to a wide range of medical, mental health care and community-based services.
  • Nourishing SAAF providing 3 nutritious hot meals per day, 365 days a year. All meals are reviewed by a registered dietitian and include foods that help provide for particular dietary needs of persons with HIV/AIDS.
  • Short-Term Transitional Housing for a total of 20 men, women and transgender formerly homeless clients.
  • Dental Assistance is offered through  dental subcontractors in the community to those who meet Ryan White eligibility requirements and have no private or public dental insurance coverage.

April Nerd Night will collecting items to support the work of SAAF’s special care and hospice facility, short-term transitional housing and case management programs.

Wish List

Men’s Boxer Underwear (M/L)
Men’s Slippers
Men’s T-Shirts (M/L)
Men’s Socks
Men’s Flip Flops (11-13)
Women’s Flip Flops (S/M/L)
Men’s and Women’s Deodorant
Used DVDs
Dish Soap
Cleaning Sponges
Bed Sheets, Twin (Fitted and Flat)
Bath Towels
Bus Passes

April Nerd Night: San Antonio AIDS Foundation2016-11-25T10:59:40-06:00
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