The Better World Books Foundation and the Florida A&M University Green Coalition has partnered in efforts to give back.
In an effort to promote literacy, the FAMU Green Coalition is asking citizens of the Tallahassee community to donate unwanted textbooks.
“Ryan Mitchell in the Environmental Safety Department sent me an e-mail about the book drive,” said LaRae Donnellan, faculty advisor of the coalition. “I ran the idea by the students and they decided to take action with this project.”
The coalition has collected over 400 books and is still asking for help.
Arnette Moore, an employee at FAMU Developmental Research School, has offered to donate books from the school that are no longer being used.
Donated books can range from elementary to college-level subjects.
The coalition began collecting books in December 2008 to help children all over the world.
The unwanted textbooks will be sent to children in Uganda to promote literacy.
“Literacy is an important issue that we all must be aware of,” said C.J. Gassam, president of the coalition.
Anyone interested in donating books can drop them off at boxes placed in the School of Journalism & Graphic Communication, the Student Union, the College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences and the School of Business and Industry.
The Better World Books Foundation is using the book drive to raise awareness about the environment in students, another reason the coalition decided to participate in this community service project.
“The books that are (not accepted) by the Better World Books Foundation will be recycled and given to a local community center or school,” Stephenson said.
The coalition will be sending off its first set of books to the Better World Books Foundation in the next few weeks, however, it will be part of its ongoing project.
“The book drive has really been a success,” Gassam said. “We have only been working on this project for a few months and are coming close to reaching our goal.”
For more information on how to donate unwanted textbooks, contact Adrienne Stephenson at lapier@hotmail.com or Dr. LaRae Donnellan in the School of Journalism & Graphic Communication at (850) 561-2765.