Books for all

At their headquarters on 20th Avenue South, members of the Jefferson County Federation of Teachers unloaded box after box of books from two trucks. By the time they finished, there were 15,000 books waiting to be delivered to children in need.

The JCFT partnered with the Birmingham Federation of Teachers and a charity called First Book to bring the books to Homewood. First Book collects and distributes books across the country to students in Title I schools, which are schools where more than 40 percent of students receive free or reduced lunches. So far, First Book has given children more than 110 million books.

JCFT President Marrianne Hayward said that they have partnered with First Book in the past, most recently in sorting 500,000 books in a Montgomery warehouse in October. She said what makes First Book different is that books are given directly to students, not to the schools. Hayward recalls seeing children’s excited faces when she wrote their names inside the front covers, and many immediately began reading their new books. Some of them had never owned a book before.

“They are so excited,” Hayward said. “We want them to read their own books.”

Each child receives multiple books, which can make a world of difference in the education of a student who may not have had the opportunity to read for fun outside of school. Hayward said the JCFT would like to find a warehouse in Homewood so they can distribute even more books in the future.

Their current stock of books will be sorted by reading level and genre, then distributed to students in Jefferson County, Birmingham, Pell City, St. Clair County and Blount County. To learn more about First Book or register for your educational program to receive free books, visit firstbook.org.