West Virginia University’s College of Human Resources and Education Alumni Association and WVU Extension Service’s award winning summer literacy program, Energy Express, have joined forces and are organizing a children’s holiday book drive starting Nov. 23 through Dec. 17. The drive will benefit low income children grades K-6 in north central West Virginia and around the state.

Donated books will be distributed by Energy Express AmeriCorps mentors to as many as 80 sites across the state and reach approximately 3,000 disadvantaged children. Energy Express is a program under the leadership of WVU Extension Service’s 4-H Youth Development program that provides learning opportunities and nutrition to children living in rural and low-income communities throughout the state during the summer months, when they are most at risk for falling behind on reading levels.

“Children in poverty have limited access to books, with two-thirds of low-income families having no books for their children at home,” said Diana Kingsbury, Energy Express Program Coordinator. “Providing books to children from low-income backgrounds will encourage literacy development and provide increased educational opportunities to our most disadvantaged youth.”

New and gently used books can be donated to drop boxes at the following locations:

• Morgantown Mall, main concourse
• Mountaineer Mall, main concourse
• Giant Eagle on Greenbag Road
• 802 Allen Hall, WVU Evansdale Campus
• United Bank, Glenmark, Sabraton, and Waterfront locations
• Huntington Bank in Suncrest

Also, the College of Human Resources and Education Alumni Association will continue book donations to McDowell County children through a separate collaboration with Marshall University’s School of Education and Professional Development. This book drive is led by dean and WVU HR&E alum, Teresa Eagle.

Support from the Speech Pathology and Audiology student organization NSSLHA (The National Student Speech Language Hearing Association) is being planned as the group prepares for its annual bake sale. All proceeds from the bake sale will be used to buy books which will be donated to the HRE Alumni Association Holiday Children’s Book Drive.

The HRE Alumni Association Holiday Children’s Book Drive coincides with the College of Human Resources and Education’s mission to enhance and improve educational opportunities across the state. Last year’s book drive totaled 1,000 books, and the goal is to exceed that count this year.

For more information about the book drive or the College of Human Resources and Education Alumni Association, contact alumni relations and special events coordinator Mary Beth Sickles at 304-293-3292 or Marybeth.sickles@mail.wvu.edu.

-WVU-

11/19/12

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CONTACT: Christie Zachary, Human Resources and Education
304-293-5703, christie.zachary@mail.wvu.edu