California Resources Corporation Teams Up With Nonprofit First Book to Distribute Books to Kern County Area Children In Need

BAKERSFIELD, Calif., Dec. 17, 2015, /3BL Media/ – California Resources Corporation (NYSE: CRC), an independent oil and natural gas exploration and production company, has joined nonprofit social enterprise First Book to deliver books to children in need across Kern County. Through its participation in CBS EcoMedia’s EducationAd program, California Resources Corporation has provided funding for 1,800 brand new books to be distributed to the Housing and Opportunity Foundation of Kern’s literacy programs for underserved children in the Bakersfield Area.

First Book provides new books and educational resources to educational programs serving children from low-income families. By working with a network of over 160,000 community-based schools and programs, First Book helps elevate the quality of educational tools for kids in need. With help from partners like California Resources Corporation, First Book hopes to reach every one of the nearly 30 million kids that live in low-income households in the United States.

Books provided by California Resources Corporation will support the Housing and Opportunity Foundation of Kern’s A.S.T.R.O. (A Shoulder To Read On) Reading Program. This program was developed to assist youth who are reading at or below grade level improve their literacy skills and foster a love of reading.  The program encourages peer reading and support for students to build confidence in a safe environment.

To celebrate California Resources Corporation’s one year anniversary and this generous gift, a special A.S.T.R.O. reading party was held where volunteers from California Resources Corporation presented the brand new books and read with the children. Hosts of the event included representatives and volunteers from California Resources Corporation and staff and Board Members from the Housing and Opportunity Foundation of Kern.

 “The majority of CRC’s employees live in the Central Valley.  At CRC, our employees proudly reflect Kern County’s values and are deeply committed to strengthening the communities where we live and work.” commented Bob Barnes, CRC EVP Northern Operations.  “Education is a key priority for CRC and we are proud to support the Housing and Opportunity Foundation’s county-wide launch of the “A Shoulder To Read On” program that will provide much needed educational resources to youth in need throughout Kern County.”

“We are excited for this partnership and the opportunity to expand our literacy programs to sites throughout Kern County.  This contribution speaks to California Resources Corporation’s ongoing commitment to education and to our families in Kern County.  The children are excited to have access to new books that they can enjoy on an ongoing basis.” Norma Rojas-Mora, Executive Director of the Housing and Opportunity Foundation.

About California Resources Corporation
California Resources Corporation is the largest oil and natural gas exploration and production company in California on a gross-operated basis. The Company operates its world class resource base exclusively within the State of California, applying integrated infrastructure to gather, process and market its production. Using advanced technology, California Resources Corporation focuses on safely and responsibly supplying affordable energy for California by Californians.

About First Book
First Book is a nonprofit social enterprise that has distributed more than 125 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 elevating the quality of education. For more information, please visit them online or follow their latest news on Facebook and Twitter.

About the Housing and Opportunity Foundation of Kern
The Housing and Opportunity Foundation of Kern is a 501(c)(3) non-profit whose purpose is to raise funds from the general public to support programs and activities that benefit residents of the Housing Authority of the County of Kern, as well as other low-income residents in Kern County.

It is the mission of the Foundation to assist low-income individuals become self-sufficient and improve their quality of life through support, education, and empowerment.

About CBS EcoMedia Inc.
EcoMedia was founded in 2002 by social entrepreneur Paul Polizzotto. The company's mission is to harness the power of the advertising dollar to make tangible, quality of life improvements in communities nationwide. In 2010, after successfully partnering on a wide range of environmental projects, EcoMedia was acquired by CBS Corporation, exponentially scaling its reach across television, radio, interactive, and publishing media.

Through EcoMedia's patent-pending EcoAd, as well as EducationAd, WellnessAd, Viewers to Volunteers and Volunteering with the Stars advertising programs, national brands and local businesses provide millions of dollars in financial support to some of the nation's most effective nonprofit organizations, funding critical veterans’, education, health and wellness, and environmental projects nationwide.

EcoMedia's innovative and proprietary business model has fundamentally altered the advertising and nonprofit landscapes, elevating the ordinary, traditional commercial – and media, in general – into a catalyst for tangible, quantifiable social change.

EcoMedia has earned numerous awards and recognitions for its work, including the U.S. Conference of Mayors Award for Excellence in Public Private Partnerships (2009), Edison Awards for Social Innovation and Social Impact (2012, 2013), and the Starlight Children's Foundation's “General H. Norman Schwarzkopf Leadership Award,” which honors individual and organizational leaders who are doing extraordinary work to advance the common good and strengthen their communities. 

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By participating in EcoMedia's EcoAd, WellnessAd, EducationAd, and Viewers to Volunteers advertising programs, EcoMedia's advertisers agree to provide funding for projects we believe will have a beneficial effect upon the environment, health and/or education within local communities. EcoMedia's advertising programs are not certification programs nor are the EcoAd, WellnessAd or EducationAd logos seals of approval. EcoMedia does not in any way certify, endorse or make any representations about EcoMedia program advertisers, their products or services.

Press Contact
Theresa Schieber
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