TD Charitable Foundation Contributes $50,000 Worth of New Books to Kids in Need Through First Book

CHERRY HILL, N.J. and PORTLAND, Maine, Aug. 25, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The TD Charitable Foundation, the charitable giving arm of TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank®, and TD Bank Group announced today they have each contributed $50,000 to First Book, a non-profit organization that provides new books for children in need.

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First Book distributed $1,000 grants to schools and programs, which used the funds to purchase new books on the First Book Marketplace (www.fbmarketplace.org), an online bookstore offering eligible schools and programs high-quality children's books at prices 50 to 90 percent below retail.

First Book has distributed more than 80 million books and educational resources to programs and schools serving children from low-income families throughout the United States and Canada, transforming the lives of children in need and elevating the quality of education by making new, high-quality books available on an ongoing basis.

First Book grant recipients in the United States include:

Connecticut: Everybody Wins!; Mi Casa Family Service and Educational Center, Inc.; Wakeman Boys and Girls Club, Smilow Burroughs Clubhouse; and YWCA New Britain.

Delaware: Lake Forest South Elementary School.

District of Columbia: Higher Achievement Program; People Animals Love; and The Reading Literacy Learning Center Inc.

Florida: Arlington Middle School (Duval County Public Schools); Communities In Schools of Jacksonville (Reynolds Lane Elementary); Grows Literacy Council; Hialeah Housing Authority; and Jacksonville Children's Commission.

Maine: Community Care of Bangor; and Southern Kennebec Child Development Corp. - Child Care Options.

Maryland: Spanish Catholic Center of Catholic Charities; and THE Y.E.S. CLUB.

Massachusetts: Acre Family Day Care; Arthur T. Talmadge Elementary School; Boys & Girls Clubs of Dorchester; and Reader to Reader, Inc.

New Hampshire: SCS Keene Head Start.

New Jersey: Bethany Cares Inc.; Boys and Girls Clubs of Newark; NJ SEEDS; TCNJ Bonner Center for Civic and Community Engagement; The International School of Art, Business, and Technology; United Way of Atlantic County; and Young Scholars' Institute.

New York: Albany Community Charter School; BELL Building Educated Leaders for Life; Capital District YMCA Albany Branch; Center Against Domestic Violence; Coalition for Hispanic Family Services; Oliver Scholars Program; Project MOST: Making the Most of After School Time; RECAP Inc./Western Orange County Head Start (Scotchtown); The Floating Hospital; and The Pinwheel Project.

North Carolina: Polk County Schools.

Pennsylvania: Literacy Nation; and Widener Big Friends.

Rhode Island: Providence Career and Technical Academy.

South Carolina: Boys and Girls Clubs of York County; Communities in Schools - Chandler Creek Elementary; and Communities in Schools of Greenville County.

Vermont: Boys & Girls Club of Rutland County; and King Street Center.

Virginia: Nurturing Families; and YMCA Fairfax County Reston.

"The ability to read is paramount to a child's education, and First Book is truly making an impact by providing books to children who otherwise would not have access to them," said Elizabeth K. Warn, President of the TD Charitable Foundation and Senior Vice President of Community Development for TD Bank. "TD Bank is committed to making a difference in the communities we serve, and supporting First Book's initiatives provides us the opportunity to have a meaningful impact on young readers throughout our footprint."

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

"We hear every day from teachers and program leaders who tell us what a difference these books make in the lives of the children they serve," said Kyle Zimmer, First Book's president and CEO. "When a child hears that the book she's holding is hers to keep, her eyes light up. With the help of caring partners like TD Bank, First Book is able to reach thousands more children in need."

First Book's Banking on Books program will provide 50 book awards to recipients in eastern states within the TD Bank footprint.

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

About the TD Charitable Foundation

The TD Charitable Foundation is the charitable giving arm of 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 $73.7 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 more than 7.4 million customers with a full range of retail, small business and commercial banking products and services at more than 1,250 convenient locations throughout the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Metro D.C., the Carolinas and Florida. In addition, TD Bank and its subsidiaries offer customized wealth management services through TD Wealth, and insurance products and services through TD Insurance, Inc. TD Bank is headquartered in Cherry Hill, N.J., and Portland, Maine. To learn more, follow TD Bank on Twitter at www.twitter.com/TDBank_US or visit www.tdbank.com.

TD 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 and one of the few banks in the world rated Aaa by Moody's. The Toronto-Dominion Bank trades on the New York and Toronto stock exchanges under the ticker symbol "TD." To learn more, visit www.td.com.

About First Book

First Book has distributed more than 80 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 us online or follow our latest news on Facebook and Twitter.

SOURCE TD Charitable Foundation