JetBlue's Free Book Vending Machines Bring Summer Reading To Kids In Need
Originally published on The Huffington Post
JetBlue Airways is taking off for a special mission this summer.
As part of a program to promote summer reading in underserved communities, the airline has installed free book vending machines in a Washington, D.C., neighborhood, that has limited access to reading resources, according to a press release.
The initiative, which is a joint effort with Random House Children's Books, launched on Wednesday, with vending machines installed in a church, a grocery store and a branch of the Salvation Army in Southeast D.C., the Kojo Nnamdi Show blog reported. Described as a “book desert,” many children this area of the city do not have the resources to build their own personal library. The vending machines, which are a pilot in JetBlue’s annual Soar With Reading program, are meant to promote literacy by providing access to free books.
"Innovative solutions that involve and engage the community [are] necessary to combat the current summer slump that happens especially in underserved communities," Icema Gibbs, JetBlue's director of corporate social responsibility, said in a statement.
