3000 Books Donated to Area Schools

 

Creswell Elementary School's library grew by nearly 100 books Thursday when St. Landry-Evangeline United Way delivered tomes to the school.

Throughout the day, dubbed a "Day of Literacy," almost 3,000 books were distributed to elementary schools in St. Landry and Evangeline parishes, including 15 elementary schools all over St. Landry, St. Landry-Evangeline United Way special projects coordinator Susan Fisher said.

"It was a joint partnership and a joint effort to have books donated in our parishes geared to the ages of kindergarten to third grade, because we know state statistics have let us know that probably 50 percent of our fourth graders in Louisiana are not reading at grade level," Fisher said.

The books were collected through a partnership among St. Landry-United Way, United Way of Acadiana, United Way of

Iberia and KATC-TV3.

Rotary Club of Opelousas donated half of the books and the other half came from individual donations, "people just dropping by bags of books to us. The books that their children have outgrown."

"If you've got a box of books laying up in the attic, don't leave them there, bring them to us, so we can distribute them to the schools that need them and let kids enjoy those books," Fisher said.

Donations can be dropped off at the St. Landry-Evangeline United Way office, 311 W. Vine, Opelousas.

Education, health and financial well-being are the three top priorities of United Way.

"We want to thank the community for helping us in this effort and raising awareness that this is a community effort to help the children in this parish get a good education. That is the children's right, to have a good education," Fisher said.

 

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