WORCESTER – In its 14th year, Worcester: the City that Reads book drive will donate 40,000 books to the teachers and students in Worcester Public Schools [WPS] and other local organizations.
The book drive — with its theme of “Spring into Books” — recently completed on May 20.
Over the past 14 years, the committee has collected nearly 700,000 books. Last year, the drive brought in more than 35,000 children’s books.
“The beauty of the drive is bringing attention to literacy,” said Worcester: the City that Reads co-founder and Worcester school committee member John Monfredo. “It’s a year-round effort that involves the entire community.”
From now until June 10, representatives from each school will be picking up the books at Worcester Technical high school during WPS’ “Reading in our City Week.”
According to Monfredo, each year the book drive committee uses the enrollment figures from each school in the public school system and makes sure that each child in the system goes home with a book.
In addition to public schools receiving the books, donations will also be delivered to Friendly House, Rainbow Child Development Center and the Latino Education Institute.
Traditionally, the books have been distributed to low-income students, social agencies, and groups with summer school programs. In addition, books have also been given to schools and groups during the school year for special projects such as a start up library at a school, AVID programs, innovation school projects, SPED, two-way bilingual schools, and all HEAD START and pre-school schools.
Lead photo: John Monfredo with book donations/Patrick Sargent for ThisWeekinWorcester.com
