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What people are saying

"The  Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library (IMCPL) is pleased to play a role in providing the gift of reading to our young people," stated Chris Cairo, IMCPL's Director of Programming and Product Development. "We encourage all citizens to visit their local library branch and drop off a book to help make a child's life complete," she added.

"It is absolutely critical that we do all we can to help Indiana's children in foster care feel successful in their school experiences! The Books for Youth initiative is a perfect way to stimulate their learning, and The Villages is thrilled to be a community partner in this exciting project!" - Sharon E. Pierce, President & CEO of The Villages

"Reading comprehension is critical to a successful, productive lifestyle," said Sandy Pierce, President and CEO of Charter One Bank, Indiana. "The program provides Charter One and the Indianapolis Colts the opportunity to help better the communities we serve - providing children with their own books and contributing to a solid reading foundation for tomorrow's leaders."

"Reading gave me self-esteem, confidence and let me know, that despite the instability and uncertainty that was happening all around me, I did have a purpose and a place in this world, after all. That small act of kindness... of giving this little boy a book... provided what I needed most: hope and the belief that there was goodness in others. Years later, that disconnected boy has now yielded to the man, who has established his own roots... but I can still smell the pages of my books and remember, with glistening eyes and fond memories, the hope I found there. - Steve Pemberton, President & Founder, Road to College

"Finish Line is proud to support this education initiative with our partners from the Indianapolis Colts," says Elise Hasbrook company spokeswoman. "As an Indianapolis-based company, we are happy to give back to the community, especially to children receiving support through the Department of Child Services."

"The Colts are proud to team up with the Department of Child Services and the Books for Youth program on this important initiative. Understanding the transient nature of foster-care, we hope to provide deserving youth with books they can call their own, something few of these children have been able to say about anything. We encourage our fans to join us in this effort by donating a book at the various collections we will be hosting. Together, we can give these children a gift that they will treasure for life."

"Children removed from their homes deserve to keep connections to the things that are meaningful to them. One of those is the connection to education and reading, therefore having access to their own books is one simple way to let children know that they are important and they will be connected to those things having importance in their lives." - Judge James Payne, DCS Director

For more information about the Books for Youth initiative, please contact us at 317.234.KIDS or by e-mail.