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Highlands Association of Child Development and Advocacy Extends Book Drive Deadline to Thanksgiving

by Madison Fisler Lewis

Nov. 3, 2014. The Highlands Association of Child Development and Advocacy (HACDA) has extended the headline for its book drive until Thanksgiving. The Appalachian State University club strives to promote literacy in children by collecting new and used books to donate to local childcare centers and organizations in need of books for children.

imgres-1“This is the first time we have held the book drive in three years,” said Hannah Easter, president of HACDA. “The club did it many times years ago, and we have decided to bring it back.”

The HACDA is collecting books in collection boxes to donate to children in need, both locally and internationally.

“The Children”s Council will receive half of the books that are donated, and they will give the books to children who need books in the home.”

The goal of the club is to educate and advocate for the rights of children in the community, but recently the club has broadened its horizons. In addition to the local giving, the club hopes to donate books to children in Uganda as well.

“I recently went to Africa and worked at a school there,” Easter said. “They didn”t have a library and they didn”t have very many books at all. They use notebook paper wrapped in newspapers as workbooks. They are in dire need of books, and this summer I took about 100 books over to them that were donated by Black Bear Books. So we are hoping to send half of the donated books from this drive to that school in Uganda.”

The drive is seeking books for all ages of children, from the youngest into high school age. Fiction and nonfiction books are welcome, as are educational books and textbooks.

Donation boxes have been placed at the Belk Library and Information Commons and at the Reich College of Education building, both on Appalachian State University”s campus.

“In the past, we have gotten about 200 books with this drive,” Easter said. “My goal is that I would love to see 300 books be donated this year.”

For more information about the book drive, contact The Children”s Council here or email Easter here.