Submitted by The South Sound Reading Foundation
The Well Fed, Well Read Drive is going strong as it celebrates its 15 year anniversary. This year public employees from 29 agencies collected $24,000 worth of food and 7,338 new and used books on behalf of the Thurston County Food Bank and South Sound Reading Foundation. “This is tangible proof that generosity and community spirit are alive and well in Thurston County”, said Robert Coit, Executive Director of the Thurston County Food Bank.
In a letter inviting city, county, and state employees to participate in the 2015 “Well Fed, Well Read” food and children’s book drive, Governor Jay Inslee stated, “I applaud our men and women in public service for their commitment to strengthening our communities, both in their daily work and in their personal contributions. Washington is truly home to compassionate and giving people.” The over all winner for most books collected in this year’s drive was OSPI. The over all winner for most food collected for this year’s drive was DSHS.
The Well Fed, Well Read drive builds awareness around hunger and literacy. “If families are nourished, if kids have food, their chances of succeeding in school increase” said Jennifer Williamson Forster, Director of the South Sound Reading Foundation. “If we can ensure kids can read, they can succeed in school, and the demand for food from the food bank will decrease”, said Thurston County Food Bank Director, Robert Coit, “that’s why we’re working together to build awareness about hunger and literacy.”
In an effort to increase the number of children entering school prepared to learn, read and succeed, the South Sound Reading Foundation exists to ensure that every child is read with 20 minutes a day starting at birth. It is the mission of the Thurston County Food Bank to eliminate hunger within our community.
