Donate books for QC Reading Week
United Way Quad Cities needs help from the community to collect enough books to give to 6,000 underserved kids during their QC Reading Week Book Drive from Feb. 23 through March 3.
Bring your donation of new or gently used books, appropriate for K-3rd grade kids, to your nearest Hy-Vee location in Scott or Rock Island counties. You can also give online HERE.
United Way’s QC Reading Week Book Drive is an extension of their initiatives to ensure Quad Cities students have what they need to achieve. Access to age-appropriate reading material has a lifelong effect on children, enabling students to excel in school and even support their success in college or career.
The book drive coincides with Dr. Seuss’s birthday (March 2), also known as Read Across America Day.
“Reading proficiency is one of the greatest predictors of a child’s success in school and life. When children fall behind in school, they can miss out on the opportunity to develop their full potential in life,” Kate Horberg, Director of Education Innovation at United Way QC, said in a Thursday release.
“QC Reading Week is a true community celebration of the joy of reading and the doors that youth literacy unlocks,” she said. “We are proud of McCarthy-Bush Corporation’s generous sponsorship, as well as the partnership of Hy-Vee and the several companies across the Quad Cities who have teamed up to make a difference for local kids.”
Donations from United Way’s QC Reading Week Book Drive will go right into the hands of kids who need them most to spark a love of reading at home while improving literacy skills crucial to the long-term success of students.
Easy ways to give
Suitable new or gently used books can be dropped off at any of the following participating Hy-Vee locations in Scott or Rock Island counties from Friday, Feb. 23 through Sunday, March 3.
Participating Hy-Vee locations include:
Bettendorf
2900 Devils Glen Road
Davenport
3019 Rockingham Road
2200 West Kimberly Road
1823 East Kimberly Rd.
4064 East 53rd Street
2351 West Locust Street
Milan
201 West Tenth Avenue
Moline
4218 Avenue of the Cities
Rock Island
2930 18th Avenue
Silvis
2001 5th Street
Eldridge
425 E. Le Claire Rd.
Help from local companies
Several local companies are rallying their employees to host book drives of their own, in partnership with United Way’s QC Reading Week.
“The children of today are tomorrow’s workforce. Learning and confidence building starts at home which is why we want to make sure every child in the Quad Cities has access to books from birth,” said Bri Aust, Marketing Director at McCarthy-Bush. “We’re so grateful to United Way as a catalyst for change in our community.”
Participating companies include Union Federal Savings and Loan Association; Salvation Army; Northwest Bank and Trust; I.H. Mississippi Valley Credit Union; Isle Casino Hotel; Honkamp P.C; Scott County; Mississippi Valley Surgery Center; PCT Ebeam and Integration, LLC; Sears Seating; Legat Architects; Blackhawk Bank and Trust; TBK Bank; Family Credit Union; Royal Neighbors; Estes Construction; Rock Island County; McCarthy-Bush; Genesis IPG; BITCO; Smart Automotive; Eastern Iowa Community College; among others.
For more information about United Way’s QC Reading Week Book Drive, please visit www.unitedwayqc.org/ReadingWeek, or call 563-355-4310.
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