C&S and First Book Bring New Books to Children in Need

Keene, NH - C&S Wholesale Grocers and First Book announce the launch of the "Food for the Body, Food for the Mind" campaign promoting the importance of books in the lives of young children. The initiative will place 50,000 brand-new, age appropriate books in the hands of disadvantaged children in southwestern New Hampshire prior to the end of the year.

The partnership is a natural one for the two organizations with a shared interest in strengthening families, improving communities and breaking the cycle of poverty at both the local and national levels. While C&S distributes food to supermarkets and to Food Banks across the country, First Book supplies books to enrich young minds.

The goal of "Food for the Body, Food for the Mind" is to identify, register and connect every community-based program serving children in need in southwest New Hampshire - home to C&S Wholesale Grocers' headquarters - with First Book. Programs in southwest New Hampshire registering through this initiative will automatically be eligible to receive three free new books for each child and will gain permanent access to First Book's resources.

Eligible programs include: Title I schools, preschool and after-school programs, tutoring programs, homeless shelters/safe houses, food assistance agencies (community kitchens, pantries, food shelves), libraries, programs for youth at faith based institutions, Boys and Girls Clubs, Rotary Clubs, Kiwanis, and other programs serving children from predominantly low-income families. Once registered, programs will have permanent access to a steady supply of new books and other educational resources for the children they serve.

"Just as children need proper nutrition to grow healthy bodies, they also need books to help grow healthy minds," said Kyle Zimmer, president of First Book. "The C&S partnership with First Book will not only help get books into the hands of children in need but also help keep books flowing into their communities. The initiative with C&S demonstrates that great corporate citizens can directly influence the quality of life in their communities."

In 2007, First Book and C&S successfully piloted "Food for the Body, Food for the Mind" in seven communities: Birmingham AL, Fresno CA, Honolulu HI, Aberdeen MD, Westfield MA, Central Islip NY, and Chester NY. Results included 120,000 new books distributed to over 30,000 children.

To support the initiative in New Hampshire, First Book-Keene State College, part of the national network of volunteer-led First Book Advisory Boards in over 270 communities, will help identify and connect programs with First Book. All interested programs are encouraged to visit www.firstbook.org/register or call 1-866-READ-NOW to get started.

About First Book

First Book is a nonprofit organization with a simple mission: to give children from low-income families the opportunity to read and own their first new books. Through hundreds of local Advisory Boards, the First Book National Book Bank, and the First Book Marketplace, the organization provides an ongoing supply of new books to children participating in community-based mentoring, tutoring, and family literacy programs. First Book has provided more than 55 million new books to children in need in thousands of communities nationwide. For more information, please visit www.FirstBook.org.

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