Books in Homes USA Brings McKamy & Sheffield ES Students Free, New Books

Books In Homes USA (BIHUSA), a national nonprofit headquartered in Pennsylvania, awarded an $8,000 grant to McKamy and Sheffield elementary schools to provide free, new books to more than 1,100 students.  

BIHUSA recently expanded its youth literacy initiatives to the Dallas area and chose to include the two CFBISD elementary schools located in Dallas. 

“When Books in Homes USA contacted CFBISD, we thought it was too good to be true,” said Pam Pena, CFBISD Community Relations Coordinator. “It’s so important to get books into the home for every child. Our principals jumped on the opportunity to work with Books In Homes USA. We are so grateful to provide this to our students. This partnership with Books in Homes will truly bring light to our children’s faces.”

Each student will be able to select about three to four books to keep and enjoy. Mainfreight USA team members will volunteer at the events over the next months to distribute the books.

“I am so excited that Books in Home chose McKamy Elementary School to receive a $4,000 grant to provide books to all our students,” said Matthew Pruitt, McKamy Elementary Principal. “We know books provide windows and mirrors for students, and with the donation, our students can continue falling in love with reading and books.”

So far this school year, BIHUSA has awarded $145,000 to schools, early learning centers and community organizations.  

“Early literacy is an essential part of a child’s overall development, providing the crucial foundation needed for lifelong achievement,” said Maria Evan, Books In Homes USA’s Executive Director. “Pleasure reading and book ownership empower children while intensifying literacy engagement. We are so grateful to Mainfreight USA’s local Flower Mound branch for partnering with Carrollton-Farmers Branch Independent School District to adopt McKamy and Sheffield. Their funding support and partnership is a critical investment in children who would not otherwise have access to the essential hands-on resources needed to build confidence. Participants share how ‘magical’ our book events are, so we look forward to hosting events at these two schools.”

Sheffield Elementary Principal Robert Atchison is excited to witness the impact the grant will have. 

“We are so appreciative of Books in Homes USA for providing this grant for our students to build their at-home libraries with free, new books,” Atchison said. “I am excited to see the love of reading instilled in our students as they receive books that they want to read. Children who love reading perform better in school overall. I am grateful for this partnership that will benefit our students’ learning and skills for years to come.”

About Books In Homes USA
Books In Homes USA, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting children in literacy and beyond, improves trajectories of children living in under-resourced communities by inspiring passion for reading and establishing a foundation for overall success. Since 2008, Books in Homes USA has provided more than 802,000 books to more than 311,000 children. Children personally select free, new high-quality books to add to their own home libraries. Pleasure reading nurtures and empowers children, improves literacy and social skills, and is key to academic and lifelong achievement.

To learn more about Books In Homes USA, visit www.booksinhomesusa.org.