Last month, 2nd & 7 visited Jones Middle School in Upper Arlington during their Service Learning Kickoff Day. Mike Jones, Director of the Columbus Kids’ Book Bank, and Allen DeGraffenreid, 2nd & 7 Board Member, spoke to students about 2nd & 7, how they can help “tackle illiteracy”, and the importance of paying it forward.
Students contributed to the mission of 2nd & 7 by hosting a book drive, where they distributed flyers throughout neighborhoods around the school and coordinated a day for families to leave books in their driveways for pickup. These books were then donated to 2nd and 7 to be distributed to families and schools all over the community. These book drives support our mission by increasing access to reading material and getting kids excited about reading.
All in all, the students at Jones Middle School collected over 1,200 books for 2nd & 7! This is a reflection of the collective, conscientious efforts of these students and all their hard work. These books will end up in the hands of children in need of reading material in their homes and classrooms. Beyond helping advance literacy for children in need, the students were left with a lasting lesson of the significance of having an impact on their community and learned the meaning of “paying it forward.” We love to see young leaders and readers in our community stepping up to help tackle illiteracy!
Written by: Ally Luna Garcia, Work-study Intern
Cristo Rey High School in Columbus