HOLIDAY BOOK DRIVE - Noember 1 at 1pm

Ouida F. Dawson, executive director of Head Start of Rockland, and Miriam Kahan, director of Spring Valley Head Start joined Jocelyn F. Ford, store manager of Barnes & Noble in Nanuet in announcing plans for a Holiday Book Drive to share the gift of literacy with low income children who attend Head Start preschool. The drive will be kicked off Saturday, November 1st at 1:00 p.m. with a reading by Jason Edwards, author of Will Allen and the Great Monster Detective, at the Barnes & Noble Bookstore at 140 Rockland Plaza in Nanuet.

Dawson said: “All of us at Head Start appreciate the thoughtfulness and generosity of Barnes & Noble staff in Nanuet picking our agency and our children to benefit from this wonderful holiday tradition. The gift of a book lasts a lifetime and puts a child on the road to love of reading and learning.”

Kahan added: “Spring Valley Head Start children, parents, and staff welcome this opportunity to partner with our neighbor, Barnes & Noble in Nanuet, in strengthening our literacy efforts and bringing each child we serve the gift of a treasured book this holiday season.

Ford noted: “Barnes & Noble distributed 1.16 million books to children nationwide last year and we hope to duplicate that success again this year. Our staff in Nanuet have made selections of books recommended for young children and young readers. We hope the entire community will be involved and make a gift for a child in need, a gift that can change a life.”

Peter Flierl, director of development at Head Start, said: “Having been raised by educators and lifetime readers, giving and receiving books was the highlight, the treasured gift in our home at Christmas and at birthdays. We welcome this generous approach to seasonal giving and sharing the gift of literacy by Barnes & Noble.”

Head Start of Rockland is a nonprofit charitable organization, one of the top 200 employers in Rockland County, and is the leading provider of preschool and early childhood education in Rockland County. It is accredited by NAEYC, the National Association for Education of Young Children and is a New York State licensed provider of preschool special education services.