Since the 1920s, Harlem has been known for it’s zest for literature. In December 2013, this enthusiasm for reading is still alive and well.
Last Saturday, Total Equity Now, an organization dedicated to empowering Harlem residents to advance in educational excellence, hosted its second Annual Literacy Across Harlem Holiday Book Drive. This year they collected, sorted and delivered a record number of books: 1,917 in total. That far exceeded last year’s number of less than 1,000.
This year, TEN was assisted by 11 Holiday Book Drive partners. The Harlem YMCA donated 362 books, the most out of any of these partners. Harlem 4 Kids and the City College of New York’s National Society of Black Engineers came in second and third respectively.
The event was assembled by Holiday Book Coordinator and volunteer, Jaye Jones.
“None of this would have been possible without the great thinking, organizational skills, and volunteer time contributed by Jaye Jones” stated a Holiday Book Drive press release.
The books were donated to various homeless shelters, foster care programs, victims of domestic violence, incarcerated women and adult learners through out Harlem.
TEN hosts three book drives a year and encourages everyone who was unable to participate in this month’s holiday book drive to participate in the annual Literacy Across Harlem Spring Book Drive that will be taking place in April.