Wal-Mart Foundation Awards $25,000 Grant to First Book – Mahoning Valley

Grant enables First Book - Mahoning Valley to provide children with the opportunity to read
and own their first books

First Book - Mahoning Valley, the local volunteer affiliate for the national non-profit First Book that provides new books to children in need, addressing one of the most important factors affecting literacy – access to books, received $25,000 from the Wal-Mart Foundation as part of its newly established State Giving Program. The grant will help First Book – Mahoning Valley fulfill its mission to help every child read and own his or her first new book.

Approximately 1,600 students form Harding, Taft, Williamson, and Paul C. Bunn elementary schools will benefit from the donation, as First Book - Mahoning Valley will use the grant to give elementary students new books at quarterly Family Night programs, sponsored by First Book and area organizations, including: Youngstown STARS, a program of Neil Kennedy Recovery Clinic; Wean Foundation, Treez Please, the Green Team and Barnes & Noble.

Representatives from Wal-Mart; Youngstown Mayor Jay Williams; Amy Neral, First Book- Mahoning Valley Advisory Board Chairperson; Youngstown STARS project manager, April Alexander; Taft Elementary principal Debbie Hagg; Youngstown CIty school representative, Claudia Charity and approximately 40 students were on hand to announce the grant in the Taft Elementary School library.

“At Wal-Mart we believe it’s best to operate globally and give back locally, which is why we created the State Giving Program,” said Jason Wetzel, Senior Manager Public Affairs. “In our experience, we can do the most good by supporting issues and causes that are important to our customers and associates in their own neighborhoods. We rely on our associates to know which organizations are the most critical to their hometowns, and we empower them to determine how Wal-Mart dollars will be best spent.”

Youngstown Mayor Jay Williams commended First Book - Mahoning Valley and Wal-Mart.

"One of the most powerful, important and fundamental skills our children need to establish early in life is that of reading and reading comprehension,” said Mayor Williams. “The generous contribution from the Wal-Mart Foundation to First Book – Mahoning Valley will greatly assist in opening the minds and imaginations of our children through reading.”

At today’s event, First Book - Mahoning Valley gave its kick-off “first books” to the approximately 40 Taft Elementary School students.

“If it wasn’t for Wal-Mart, the children wouldn’t be getting the books,” said Amy Neral, First Book Advisory Board Chair. “It is the books that will help children retain the lesson they learn and the time they spend together at the events as a family.”