CHERRY HILL, N.J., April 16, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank® and First Book —a nonprofit organization that provides new books to children in underserved communities— have partnered to provide children in kindergarten to second grade access to age-appropriate books at home and in their schools through a new program, Banking On Books. First Book works collectively with publishers and schools across the United States to support the "National Campaign for Grade Level Reading." TD Bank has committed to supporting this program by providing a $125,000 donation to the nonprofit.
It is widely recognized that an alarming number of children – about 67 percent nationwide, with more than 80 percent from low-income families – are not proficient readers by the end of third grade.
Committed to education, TD Bank and First Book are dedicated to ensuring that students have access to books that foster a love of learning, and ultimately the tools needed to succeed in school. TD will partner with community schools for three reading sessions where TD employees will leave behind over 22,000 financially-themed books at 364 schools once the program is completed in June.
Banking On Books recipients include:
Delaware: Wilmington - David Harlan Elementary School
Florida: Fort Lauderdale - Daystar Academy, Boynton Beach; Riverland Elementary; Miami - Lauderhill Paul Turner Elementary, Lauderhill; Agenoria S. Paschal/ Olinda Elementary, Comstock Elementary, Eneida M. Hartner Elementary, Kelsey L. Pharr Elementary, Linda Lentin K-8 Center, Orchard Villa Elementary; Miami Gardens - Rainbow Park Elementary; Orlando - Ventura Elementary; West Palm Beach - Northmore Elementary
Massachusetts: Dorchester- Oliver Wendell Homes; Hyde Park - Roosevelt School; Lynn -E.J. Harrington School; Revere - Garfield Elementary; Roslindale - Charles Sumner Elementary; Roxbury - David A. Ellis Elementary, Maurice J. Tobin K-8 School; Salem - Saltonstall School
North Carolina: Wilmington - Sunset Park Elementary
New York: Bronx - Family Life Academy Charter School 2, PS 386, PS 91 Bronx, PS/MS 20 George Werdann III, PS 369 Young Leaders Elementary; Brooklyn – Brooklyn Landmark Elementary, Brownsville Ascend Charter School, Hyde Leadership Charter School; New York City – Harlem Link Charter School, Manhattan Christian Academy, PS 126 Jacob August Riis, PS 2 Meyer London School, PS 38 Roberto Clemente Learning Complex, PS4M/Duke Ellington School; Poughkeepsie – Warring Elementary
Pennsylvania: Philadelphia - Ad Prima Charter School, Cayuga Promise Academy, E.W Rhodes, John H. Webster, Olney Elementary, Thomas G. Morton Elementary, Universal Vare Charter School, William Cramp Elementary
South Carolina: Georgetown – McDonald Elementary; Greenville - Legacy Charter School, Monaview Elementary; Lugoff – Doby's Mill Elementary
"TD Bank is excited to launch Banking On Books in partnership with First Book," said Elizabeth K. Warn, Community Development Director. "Our employees are thrilled to engage locally with students where they live and work and most importantly, share a love of reading."
"The educators we work with across the country tell us every day what a difference these books make in the lives of the kids they work with," said Kyle Zimmer, president and CEO of First Book. "Thanks to partners like TD Bank we're not only giving kids the joy of owning new books of their very own, we're transforming their lives by ensuring they have the resources they need to succeed."
For a complete listing of schools, contact Brian Minter at 202-639-0115 or bminter@firstbook.org
About First Book
First Book is a nonprofit social enterprise that has distributed more than 100 million books and educational resources to programs and schools serving children from low-income families throughout the United States and Canada. By making new, high-quality books available on an ongoing basis, First Book is transforming the lives of children in need and elevating the quality of education. For more information, please visit us online or follow our latest news on Facebook and Twitter.
About TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank®
TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank, is one of the 10 largest banks in the U.S., providing more than 8 million customers with a full range of retail, small business and commercial banking products and services at approximately 1,300 convenient locations throughout the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Metro D.C., the Carolinas and Florida. In addition, TD Bank and its subsidiaries offer customized private banking and wealth management services through TD Wealth®, and vehicle financing and dealer commercial services through TD Auto Finance. TD Bank is headquartered in Cherry Hill, N.J. To learn more, visit www.tdbank.com. Find TD Bank on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TDBank and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/TDBank_US.
TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank, is a member of TD Bank Group and a subsidiary of The Toronto-Dominion Bank of Toronto, Canada, a top 10 financial services company in North America. The Toronto-Dominion Bank trades on the New York and Toronto stock exchanges under the ticker symbol "TD." To learn more, visit www.td.com.
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SOURCE TD Bank