Three West Hartford organizations teamed up to conduct a virtual fundraiser to purchase books for preschool and elementary school students, exceeding their goal by more than $1,000.

Submitted

Children’s Reading Partners, the Rotary Club of West Hartford, and The Miale Team at Keller Williams are pleased to announce that 2020 Greater Hartford Holiday Book Drive – conducted virtually this season – exceeded its goal by more than $1,000. In total, the drive raised $6,127 to purchase new books for at-risk preschool and elementary students in Hartford area public schools who participate in Children’s Reading Partner’s volunteer literacy programs.

“It was an honor to continue the Greater Hartford Holiday Book Drive for its seventh consecutive year,” said Bennett Forrest of The Miale Team, who chaired the drive. “Although this year we had to transition to an all-virtual approach, it gave us the opportunity to buy books wholesale and allowed us the flexibility to distribute books strategically – based on the needs of the individual schools, classes, and students.”

“The outpouring and generosity of so many in our community has been overwhelming – in the best sense of the word,” added Children’s Reading Partners program coordinator Ronni Breiter. “The funds raised will enable Children’s Reading Partners to gift a new book to every child who participates in the mentoring program, as well as to classrooms at all of our partner schools.”

Administered by the Jewish Federation of Greater Hartford, Children’s Reading Partners serves at-risk public school students in Hartford, Bloomfield, East Hartford, New Britain, and West Hartford and provides summer reading enrichment programs for children of all reading abilities in Bloomfield and Hartford.

Jewish Federation of Greater Hartford has been supporting and transforming the Jewish community since 1945. From educating children to caring for seniors, Federation touches every aspect of Jewish life here, in Israel and in 70 communities around the world. To learn more, please visit www.jewishhartford.org.

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