Alabama’s Black Belt region, one of the poorest areas in the state, will be at the center of a University of Alabama donation program designed to promote childhood literacy.
UA students, faculty, staff, and residents of Tuscaloosa are being encouraged to donate appropriate books for school age children, by the university’s Center for Economic Development.
“Alabama’s Black Belt is home to some of the most underfunded schools in Alabama,” said Erin Hackenmuller, branding and communications director for the center. “The Books for the Black Belt book drive is essential to helping the administrators and teachers in this area, provide children with not only books to read, but with the chance to further develop their love of learning, creativity and reading.”
UACED will distribute the donated books to Bullock, Butler, Choctaw, Dallas, Greene, Hale, Lowndes, Macon, Pickens, Perry, Sumter, and Wilcox counties. They will receive the donations in late spring.
Prospective donors can bring their donations to boxes on the university’s campus Jan. 30 to Feb. 24. The boxes can be found in the Honors Hall, Carmichael Hall, Autherine Lucy Hall, the Reese Phifer Hall, Tuomey Hall, Pi Beta Phi sorority house, the Blackburn Institute office, and the Student Government Association office.
Off-campus donation boxes will be at Ernest & Hadley Booksellers, United Way of West Alabama, Alberta Baptist Church, and The House Tuscaloosa at the Stillman College Student Center. Donated books will also be accepted at the center, at 621 Greensboro Ave., Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
“We have big dreams for this program to grow in the future,” Hackenmueller said. “Over the next few years, we hope to see the book drive grow to our goal of 30,000 books in one year. In the short term, we hope to do this by making more connections within the community and increasing our drop-off locations.
“A long-term goal we have for expansion is to create an online book bundle donation system. This would allow us to provide more specific and newer books that might be on a teacher or administrator’s wish list. This would also make donating much more accessible for those that are participating. ”
Austen Shipley is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News.
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