Kroger Foundation, Freestore Foodbank and First Book Launch award literacy grants for summer meal placements to support academic growth and healthy development

Pilot program promotes summer reading together with food banks in Ohio Communities

CINCINNATI, July 18, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — First Book is pleased to announce the launch of the Cincinnati Summer Reading Pilot in partnership with the Kroger Foundation and Freestore Foodbank. The pilot program will strengthen literacy skills at local food banks in the Greater Cincinnati area to promote the healthy development and academic growth of needy children. The summer program will distribute over 2,500 free books in Ohio communities at a time of year when access to quality books is particularly limited. The Cincinnati Summer Reading Pilot will combine Freestore Foodbank’s effective approach to addressing food insecurity through healthy meals with First Book’s educational support to ensure academic growth during the summer months and promote community access and participation in two important pillars of child development.

This program complements the financial and social focus of the Kroger Foundation and the Freestore Foodbank on Ohio Families with First Book’s national educational expertise and network of more than 575,000 educators. First Book is a nonprofit social enterprise and leading educational equity organization with the largest online community of educators serving children in low-income communities. Freestore Foodbank is one of the Ohio The largest food banks distribute more than 37 million meals annually with the aim of ending hunger in Ohio, Kentucky And Indiana through the distribution of nutritious food, access to support services and a comprehensive path out of crisis to stability.

Together with the support of the Kroger Foundation, Kroger’s private foundation, this pilot program will provide a framework for addressing complex social issues in communities in need. Nutritional Meals are important factors in the cognitive and behavioral development of young children and can positively impact learning and memory. Summer meals provide a holistic solution to the complex challenges faced by too many Cincinnati families. This pilot program simultaneously combats food insecurity and promotes literacy development at a time when students’ literacy skills are most vulnerable.

“First Book was born out of my time as a volunteer at a soup kitchen, reading to young children. There I experienced first-hand the transformative power a book and a meal can have on a child,” said Kyle ZimmerPresident and CEO of First Book. “While food banks have always been part of our network of educators, it is especially poignant for First Book to return to this intersection by partnering with the Kroger Foundation after more than 30 years of empowering young people and serving communities in need. This pilot program builds on what we have long known – that the challenges of literacy, learning and food insecurity are uniquely intertwined. Together, we will strengthen the building blocks of healthy child development and remove the barriers to lifelong health and learning.”

Access to high-quality, affordable books is a year-round issue for many families. However, limited access to books during the summer months poses an additional threat to academic performance, especially for students from low-income communities. Summer break can result in up to three months of reading literacy learning loss, causing students who struggled to catch up on pandemic-related learning gaps to fall even further behind. Fortunately, summer reading programs are proven interventions to combat learning loss during school breaks, and food banks provide a trusted access point to reach families in need. This collaboration aims to support literacy development during the summer months by offering fun programs and book giveaways at the same Freestore Foodbank locations where families receive healthy meals.

“For children and families in need, the summer months can be a time of instability,” said Trisha RaynerChief Development Officer and Vice President of External Affairs at Freestore Foodbank. “When students are out of school, academic and food security support is often lost. In partnership with First Book and The Kroger Foundation, Freestore Foodbank is excited to continue serving members of our community during this time and offer our enrichment programs that help children thrive while they are out of school.”

“Every year, 229 million tons of surplus food is not sold or consumed in the United States. And yet, one in five children in Ohio still suffer from hunger,” said Jennifer MooreCorporate Affairs Manager for the Cincinnati/Dayton division of Kroger. “This new collaboration with Freestore Foodbank and First Book is another innovative way Kroger is working to create a better future for children in the communities we serve.”

As part of the long-term goals of this pilot program, First Book Research & Insights will conduct a summer initiative survey to measure impact and develop best practices. The research arm of the organization will gather the voices of community members and book distribution organizers to distill the experiences of program participants and develop scalable solutions as this important work continues to expand.

About First Book
Education changes lives. First Book is building a world where every child has access to a quality education. We work to break down barriers to education and provide equal opportunities for children in need. At the heart of our work are the more than 575,000 members of the First Book Network, the largest online community of individual educators, professionals and volunteers dedicated to supporting children in need across North America. This network is key to creating systemic change. Through our research arm, First Book Research & Insights, we conduct studies that aggregate their voices to identify barriers to equitable education and develop strategic solutions. To meet their needs, we provide free and low-cost books, resources, and access to leading experts through the First Book Marketplace, which leverages pooled purchasing power to support this underserved community. Founded in Washington, DC Founded in 1992 as a nonprofit social enterprise, First Book is dedicated to removing barriers to learning and inspiring young minds. For more information, visit www.firstbook.org and visit our award-winning e-commerce site at fbmarketplace.org.

Around Cincinnati/Dayton Kroger Division
The Kroger Family of Companies has been serving communities across the United States for more than 135 years. Kroger’s Cincinnati/Dayton Division operates grocery stores, pharmacies, gas stations, warehouses and offices in Greater Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky, Eastern IndianaAnd Greater Dayton. We are dedicated to our purpose: nourishing the human spirit while creating a world without hunger and waste.

About Freestore Foodbank
Freestore Foodbank is one of the 200 food banks of Feeding America, the largest national hunger relief organization in the country. Freestore Foodbank’s mission is to improve lives by eliminating hunger in partnership with our community. Our vision is to create a hunger-free, healthy and thriving community. Last year, Freestore Foodbank served over 37.7 million meals with 613 community partners, trained over 152 in job training programs and served 165,000 individuals monthly in the 20-county service area of Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana. For more information, visit www.freestorefoodbank.org or follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Media contact:
Ian Kenison
(email protected)

SOURCE First Book