Books, books and more books! We all know that reading is fundamental in the development and education of our youth, but sadly, we also know that not all kids have access to the books they need.

This need is why the Grow Financial Foundation and the Grow Youth & Schools Committee hosted a Children’s Summer Reading Book Drive in our Florida stores to benefit the bookstore.

“These kids just love having books of their own,” said Amy Edelkind, bookstore manager and second-grade teacher at Tuttle Elementary. “Sometimes their parents have to prioritize food over other expenses. Being able to buy books so inexpensively and for themselves gives them a real sense of pride.”

We first connected with the Tuttle Elementary School bookstore early in 2019 when Tom Cofer, Grow’s Area Manager for Manatee County and Dierdre White, Executive Sponsor of the Grow Financial Foundation, visited Tuttle Elementary School and the bookstore. It was apparent that the bookstore was doing a lot of good for the students, but that it would be easy to turn it into more than a reading experience for them. To help the bookstore grow as a business, the Grow Financial Foundation and Youth & Schools Committee decided to donate a cash register.

“When I dropped off the books at the start of the school year, it was so inspiring to see the benefit the cash register has already made for the students running the store. They’re learning to manage a business—taking in money for the purchases and making change, even giving receipts. These kids are learning the value of saving money for something they really want and the fact that it furthers their education makes it even more special,” Cofer said.

Thank you to all of our generous members and team members who helped support the Tuttle Elementary School bookstore this summer! The books we donated will keep the store going strong and at the low prices of only $0.25 for used books and $1.50 for new, these students will be reading and learning for years to come!

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