Scholastic donates books to promote literacy for homeless New York City families

Brittany Sullivan  //  May 3, 2016

Scholastic donates books to promote literacy for homeless New York City families

“At Scholastic, we have seen first-hand that a book can be life-changing in the hands of a child. The right book at the right time can light an emotional spark within children that motivates them to read and realize themselves,” said Karine Apollon, VP & General Manager of Scholastic Education.

Last week, DHS, the New York City Department of Education, Scholastic, CAMBA, NYC Service and the New York Public Library came together for a “Story Play” read along event to celebrate the life-changing power of reading at the Flagstone Family Center—a Brooklyn homeless facility for families with children.

As part of an ongoing initiative known as the DHS Family Shelter Library Pilot Project, the Flagstone Family Center unveiled its new library in support of a larger effort to encourage young children to enjoy reading, as well as teach parents the skills necessary to read to, and interact with, their children. To celebrate the launch of the new Flagstone Family Center  library, Brooklyn Public Library Outreach Associate Odette Larroche-Garcia read How Do Dinosaurs Count to Ten?, by author Jane Yolen and illustrator Mark Teague. Families in attendance also received free books provided by Scholastic and a special visit from Clifford the Big Red Dog®.

Since the DHS Family Shelter Library Pilot Project began in 2015, Scholastic has donated over 3,000 books and a total of 30 libraries in Families with Children shelters have been created throughout New York City.

Don’t miss the fantastic coverage of this “Story Play” event on News 12 Brooklyn and check out some top tweets, below!

Image via NYCHomelessServices