Pilot program boosts summer reading alongside
foodbanks in Ohio
communities
CINCINNATI, July 18,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- First Book is thrilled to
announce the launch of Cincinnati Summer Reading Pilot in
collaboration with The Kroger Foundation and Freestore Foodbank.
The pilot program is bolstering literacy at local foodbanks in the
Greater Cincinnati area to foster
healthy development and academic growth for children in need. The
summer program will infuse 2,500+ free books into Ohio communities at a time of the year when
access to high-quality books is particularly limited. The
Cincinnati Summer Reading Pilot will combine Freestore Foodbank's
effective approach to addressing food insecurity through healthy
meals with the educational supports of First Book to ensure
academic growth during the summer months, encouraging community
access to and participation in two key pillars of childhood
development.
This program joins the financial and social impact focus of The
Kroger Foundation and Freestore Foodbank on Ohio families with First Book's national
educational expertise and network of more than 575,000 educators.
First Book is a nonprofit social enterprise and leading
organization in educational equity with the largest online
community of educators serving kids living in low-income
communities. Freestore Foodbank is one of Ohio's largest foodbanks distributing more
than 37 million meals annually with the goal of ending hunger
across Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana through nutritious food distribution,
access to support services, and a comprehensive pathway from crisis
to stability.
Together, with the support of The Kroger Foundation, Kroger's
private foundation, this pilot program will offer a framework for
addressing multi-pronged social issues in communities of need.
Nutritious meals are considerable factors in the cognitive and
behavioral development of young children that can positively impact
learning and memory. Summer meal sites present a holistic solution
to the multi-faceted challenges facing too many Cincinnati families. This pilot program
simultaneously combats food insecurity while fostering literacy
development at a time when students are most susceptible to
downturns in reading proficiency.
"First Book was founded as a result of my time volunteering in a
soup kitchen reading to young children, where I witnessed firsthand
the transformative power a book and meal can have on a child," said
Kyle Zimmer, president and CEO of
First Book. "While food banks have always been a part of our
educator network, it is especially poignant for First Book to be
returning to that intersection by collaborating with The Kroger
Foundation after more than 30 years of nurturing young minds and
serving communities in need. This pilot program builds on what we
have long known -- that the challenges of literacy, learning and
food insecurity are uniquely intertwined. Together, we will bolster
the building blocks of healthy child development and eliminate the
barriers to lifelong health and learning."
Access to high-quality, affordable books is a year-round
struggle for many families, but limited access to books during the
summer months introduces an additional threat to academic
achievement, especially for students in low-income communities. The
summer break can result in learning loss of up to three months of
reading proficiency, setting students who have struggled to recover
from pandemic-related learning gaps further back. Fortunately,
summer reading programs are proven interventions to combat learning
loss while students are out of school and food banks offer a
trusted access point to reach families in need. This collaboration
is committed to supporting literacy development during summer
months by offering fun programming and book giveaways at the same
Freestore Foodbank locations where families receive healthy meals.
"For children and families in need, the summer months can be a
time of instability," said Trisha
Rayner, chief development officer and VP of external affairs
at Freestore Foodbank. "With students out of school, academic and
food security supports often fall away. In collaboration with First
Book and The Kroger Foundation, Freestore Foodbank is thrilled to
continue to serve our community members during this time and offer
our enriching programming that helps kids flourish while they are
out of school."
"Every year, 229 million tons of surplus food goes unsold or
uneaten in the U.S. And yet, one in five children in Ohio still face hunger," said Jenifer Moore, corporate affairs manager for the
Cincinnati/Dayton division of Kroger. "This new
collaboration with Freestore Foodbank and First Book is another
innovative solution in which Kroger is working to create a better
future for children in the communities we serve."
As part of the long-term goals of this pilot program, First Book
Research & Insights will conduct a survey of the summer
initiative to measure impact and develop best practices. The
research arm of the organization will aggregate the voices of
community members and book distribution organizers to distill the
experiences of the program's participants and inform scalable
solutions as this critical work continues to expand.
About First Book
Education transforms lives. First
Book is building a world where every child has access to a quality
education. We work to remove barriers to education and level the
playing field for kids in need. At the heart of our work are the
more than 575,000 members of the First Book Network, the largest
online community of individual educators, professionals and
volunteers dedicated to supporting children in need across
North America. This Network is the
key to creating systemic change. Through our research arm, First
Book Research & Insights, we conduct studies that aggregate
their voices to identify barriers to equitable education and inform
strategic solutions. To address their needs, we provide free and
low-cost books, resources, and access to leading experts through
the First Book Marketplace, which uses aggregated buying power to
support this underserved community. Founded in Washington D.C. in 1992 as a nonprofit social
enterprise, First Book is dedicated to eliminating barriers to
learning and inspiring young minds. Learn more at www.firstbook.org
and visit our award-winning eCommerce website at
fbmarketplace.org.
About Cincinnati/Dayton
Kroger Division
The Kroger Family of Companies has been
serving communities across the U.S. for more than 135 years.
Kroger's Cincinnati/Dayton division operates food stores,
pharmacies, fuel centers, warehouses and offices in Greater Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky, Eastern Indiana, and Greater Dayton. We are dedicated to Our
Purpose: To Feed the Human Spirit™ while creating a world with
Zero Hunger | Zero Waste.
About Freestore Foodbank
Freestore Foodbank is one of
the 200 food bank members of Feeding America, the nation's largest
domestic hunger-relief organization. Freestore Foodbank's mission
is to improve lives by eliminating hunger in partnership with our
community, and our vision is to create a hunger-free, healthy, and
thriving community. Last year, the Freestore Foodbank provided over
37.7 million meals with 613 community partners, trained over 152 in
job training programs, and served 165,000 individuals monthly in
the 20-county service area of Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana. For more
information, please visit www.freestorefoodbank.org or follow us on
Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Media Contact:
Ian Kenison
ikenison@firstbook.org
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SOURCE First Book