HOUSTON–Members Choice Credit Union (MCCU) officially launched their Books & a Buddy Literacy Program with Katy ISD’s Schmalz Elementary by donating backpacks stuffed with children’s books and a teddy bear to students at the school.
The Books and a Buddy was created to encourage the love of reading in school-age children by providing them with books to add to or start their own library at home. During the summer, Members Choice Credit Union collected books from the community at their branch locations, as well as from Half Price Books and Scholastic, Inc. Overall, more than 9,000 books were collected and purchased for approximately 650 Kindergarten, first and second grade students. During Curriculum Night on September 1st at Schmalz Elementary, each child received seven books along with a small teddy bear to snuggle with while reading, all tucked in a neat red and black drawstring backpack.
With the help of more than 30 credit union employee volunteers, they successfully helped sort, package, and distribute the backpacks to the students.
Members Choice Credit Union CEO Steve Gilman said “we want to encourage the love of reading and feel it is important for the students to have books at home. We think it’s a great program and hope to continue for years to come.”