Breakthrough Atlanta students collect books for students of schools devastated by L.A. Wildfires 

Each year scholars from Breakthrough Atlanta a effort focused on increasing academic opportunities and college readiness for highly motivated underserved students donate books as part of the Chick-fil-A Leader Academy s kickoff arrangement project Understanding that access to books is essential for a child s intellectual enhancement the mission of this undertaking is to ensure that every child has the opportunity to enrich their learning through reading This year their utility work took on a deeper significance when the participants decided to shift their focus to help students devastated by wildfires that in recent weeks swept through Los Angeles California Subscribe to Stacks our monthly newsletter for Atlanta s literary scene Throughout Los Angeles and the surrounding communities five schools were destroyed with seven more heavily damaged leaving as a great number of as students and staff displaced and having to learn from temporary locations or online school Besides schools the fires have devastated libraries independent bookstores and personal book collections So Breakthrough Atlanta went beyond merely collecting books for affected communities With great care they packed and shipped volumes of books to readers in Los Angeles adding personal touches such as heartfelt notes and Chick-fil-A gift cards They hope that these books and gifts will offer enrichment escape and comfort to children enduring incredibly challenging circumstances Our Breakthrough scholars understand that leadership is about more than just taking initiative it s about serving others with empathy and kindness reported Monique Shields CEO of Breakthrough Atlanta Through their efforts they are demonstrating the power of literacy and the impact that even small acts of kindness can have on individuals and communities In partnership with SoCal College Attainment Setup and Reading Partners Los Angeles Breakthrough Atlanta donated cases of children s books to be distributed to students displaced from their schools and libraries due to the devastating L A wildfires Reading Partners took charge of giving out the books by distributing them in the Pasadena Unified School District s drive-through lunch lines as well as Pasadena elementary students upon returning to school at the end of January We are incredibly grateful for our partnership with Breakthrough Atlanta whose generosity has helped provide books to students impacted by the Eaton Fire disclosed Chloe Oliveras executive director of Reading Partners Los Angeles The excitement on their faces as they receive these books is truly heartwarming flipping through the pages discovering new adventures and finding elation in stories that offer comfort and inspiration This partnership is more than just about books it s about hope healing and the power of schooling to brighten even the toughest of times The post Breakthrough Atlanta students collect books for students of schools devastated by L A Wildfires appeared first on Rough Draft Atlanta