TD Charitable Foundation and TD Bank Join Forces with First Book to Provide 20,000 Books for Children in Need

Grants for books provided to 50 programs and schools serving nearly 30,000 children from Maine to Florida

WASHINGTON, Nov. 12, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- First Book, a nonprofit organization that provides new books to children in need, announced today that it has received two separate contributions totaling $114,000 from The TD Charitable Foundation and TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank®, as part of TD's commitment to education. 

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20101214/DC17316LOGO-b)

With renewed funding from the TD Charitable Foundation, First Book launched the second year of its Banking on Books program which provides new books to schools and programs that serve children in need. With the Foundation's contribution, First Book distributed $1,000 book awards to 50 schools and programs. The awards were used to purchase thousands of new, high quality children's books on First Book's online Marketplace at prices far below retail.

First Book grant recipients include:

• Connecticut: Boys and Girls Club of Stamford, New Britain Parks and Recreation Department
• Delaware: 4H Afterschool, Walnut Street YMCA School's Out
• District of Columbia: People Animals Love
• Florida: A Brighter Day Academy, ASPIRE To Inc., Ephesus Junior Academy, Kidsville Early Learning Center, RCMA School Age Programs, What About The Children Inc.
• Maine: Literacy Volunteers-Androscoggin, WMCA WIC Program
• Massachusetts: Boys and Girls Clubs of Dorchester, Cambridge Somerville WIC Program, For Kids Only Afterschool, Springfield VACA Inc., The Boys and Girls Club of Greater Holyoke Inc., The Salvation Army Kids Club
• New Hampshire: Nashua Neighborhood Learning Center, Seacoast Youth Services and the Seabrook Adventure Zone, Winchester School ACCESS
• New Jersey: Archway Programs – Just Kids at Hurffville Elementary School, ASPIRA of New Jersey, Bergen Family Center, Camelot Schools, Egg Harbor City Public Schools 21st CCLC REACH Program, Every Child Valued, Nurse Family Partnership United Way of Central Jersey, Paterson School Number 8, Unified Vailsburg Services Organization
• New York: Albany Police Athletic League, Choice For All, City of Mount Vernon Youth Bureau, Girls Incorporated of the Greater Capital Region, Harriet Tubman Academic Skills Center, Liberty Partner Preschool, MPowering Kids, Ravenswood I Have a Dream Program, The Reading Team, Westcop Mamaroneck Child Development Center
• North Carolina: Children First Communities in Schools of Buncombe County, New Hanover County Community Action Head Start, Western Carolina Community Action Inc.
• Pennsylvania: 21^st Century Community Learning Center, Columbia North YMCA, EducationWorks, The Gift Preparatory School's ReCreate Summer Camp
• South Carolina: Blessed To Care, Housing Authority of Lancaster Inc.
• Vermont: OASIS Afterschool Program and Putney Family Services Inc., Student Success Winooski and Beyond
• Virginia: The AnBryce Foundation

"Something as simple as access to a good book can be a powerful force in a child's life," said Elizabeth K. Warn, President of the TD Charitable Foundation "By partnering with local organizations such as First Book, the TD Charitable Foundation is able to make those books a reality, creating a real impact for children and families in our communities."

First Book and TD Bank also hosted four reading parties at eligible schools and community programs in Vermont, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Each participating organization received a $2,000 First Book Marketplace award, providing approximately 800 new books. TD Bank volunteers attended each event to read with children and to distribute backpacks, bookmarks and brand new books for children to take home and keep. 

Studies have shown that access to books is one of the most critical factors in developing reading skills, and the ratio of books to children in some low-income neighborhoods is as low as one age-appropriate book for every 300 children, while middle-income neighborhoods average 13 books per home.

"The educators we work with across the country tell us every day what a difference these books make in the lives of the kids they work with," said Kyle Zimmer, president and CEO of First Book. "Thanks to partners like TD Bank and the TD Charitable Foundation, we're not only giving kids the joy of owning new books of their very own, we're transforming their lives by ensuring they have the resources they need to succeed."

To learn more about TD Bank, visit www.tdbank.com or follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/TDBank_US.

About First Book
First Book has distributed more than 90 million books and educational resources to programs and schools serving children from low-income families throughout the United States and Canada.  By making new, high-quality books available on an ongoing basis, First Book is transforming the lives of children in need and the elevating the quality of education. For more information, please visit them online or follow their latest news on Facebook and Twitter.

About the TD Charitable Foundation
The TD Charitable Foundation is funded by TD Bank N.A., which operates as TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank®, and is one of the 10 largest commercial banking organizations in the United States. The Foundation's mission is to serve the individuals, families and businesses in all the communities where TD Bank operates, having made $98.2 million in charitable donations since its inception in 2002. The Foundation's areas of focus are affordable housing, education and financial literacy, and the environment. More information on the TD Charitable Foundation, including an online grant application, is available at www.TDBank.com.

About TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank
TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank, is one of the 10 largest banks in the U.S., providing nearly 8 million customers with a full range of retail, small business and commercial banking products and services at nearly 1,300 convenient locations throughout the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Metro D.C., the Carolinas and Florida. In addition, TD Bank and its subsidiaries offer customized private banking and wealth management services through TD Wealth®, and vehicle financing and dealer commercial services through TD Auto Finance. TD Bank is headquartered in Cherry Hill, N.J., and Portland, Maine. To learn more, visit www.tdbank.com. Find TD Bank on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TDMoneyLoungeUS and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/TDBank_US.

TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank, is a member of TD Bank Group and a subsidiary of The Toronto-Dominion Bank of Toronto, Canada, a top 10 financial services company in North America. The Toronto-Dominion Bank is one of the few banks in the world rated Aaa by Moody's and trades on the New York and Toronto stock exchanges under the ticker symbol "TD." To learn more, visit www.td.com.

Media Contact:

First Book
Brian Minter
Office: 202-639-0115
Mobile: 202-744-3432  
[email protected]

TD Bank
Eric Springer
Office: 856-470-3898
[email protected]

SOURCE First Book