BankRI Launches 4th Annual Children’s Book Drive
Tuesday, April 01, 2014
Bank Rhode Island (BankRI) will kick off a month-long book drive in support of Books Are Wings in each of their 18 branch locations starting today. This year’s effort marks BankRI’s 4th annual partnership with Books Are Wings, a local non-profit that puts free books in the hands of children in some of the state’s neediest communities. Throughout April, members of the community may visit any BankRI branch to donate new and gently-used children’s books. The goal is to collect 2,000 books.
Improving literacy in RI
“I can’t think of anything more important to a child’s future than fostering a love of reading; the life-long benefits are overwhelming and they all start with helping them excel in the classroom,” said Patricia O’Donnell-Saracino, Vice President of Community Relations for BankRI. “Our annual book drive is an effort that everyone looks forward to as a way to help kids. I’d love to see this year’s collection exceed its goal.”
In addition to organizing its book drive, BankRI has awarded Books Are Wings a $1,500 grant to fund an afterschool Book Party pilot program in Central Falls. Over the course of 6 weeks, children in kindergarten through third grade will spend an afternoon being read to before breaking into groups for literacy-based activities. The program, whose goal is to increase children’s interests in reading both recreationally and in school, will also provide an opportunity for kids to choose books to keep.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTBankRI operates 18 branches and more than 60 ATMs throughout Providence, Kent and Washington Counties. For more information, visit www.bankrhodeisland.com. For more information on Books Are Wings, visit www.booksarewings.org.
Related Slideshow: The Most and Least Diverse High Schools in Rhode Island
The data below reflects the 2012-13 academic year as provided by the Rhode Island Dept of Education. Values have been rounded to the nearest whole percent.
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