BCUW & Imperial Supplies Deliver Books to Howe Community School

News Release
6/1/2023

Brown County United Way and Imperial Supplies Ensure Every Kid at Howe Community School Has a Book to Take Home for the Summer
Volunteers from both organizations will deliver books to Howe Community School students on Monday, June 5.

GREEN BAY— Brown County United Way Emerging Leaders and volunteers from Imperial Supplies teamed up for the third year in a row for their annual Summer Book Send-Off Drive. The goal is to send students home with a brand-new, grade-appropriate book.

“Teachers rarely get such a great opportunity as this,” said Diana Delbecchi, Green Bay Area Public School District community schools resource coordinator. “To provide our scholars with a brand-new book for summer reading would normally require our teachers to purchase them out-of-pocket.”

Imperial Supplies sponsors the event by providing a financial gift to support purchasing the books.

“Imperial Supplies has a long history of supporting education in the Green Bay area. We are proud to continue this tradition in partnership with Brown County United Way,” said Victoria Tylinski, Vice President of Marketing at Imperial Supplies. “Reading is foundational to education, and we are happy to provide books to the students at Howe Community School to help these young learners develop a passion for reading.”

Teachers from Howe Community School selected their books to send home with students. Many of these books are newer, with titles like “Kindness is My Superpower” and “I Can Achieve Anything.” Then, BCUW’s Emerging Leaders and volunteers from Imperial Supplies sorted and filled the books with summer resources for families.

“This drive was not a one-man job,” says Cierra Ivey, Brown County United Way’s Communication and Engagement Strategist. “It took months of preparation and organization to make sure every kid at Howe receives a book for the summer.”

Previous research from United for Literacy shows that Howe Community School is in a ‘book desert’ and that 90 percent of the households in the school attendance area do not have printed books. As a result, getting access to books and other reading materials is problematic.

“In 2021, as part of Community School work, our scholars shared that they wanted more books in their home libraries. So, we have spent the last two years seeking partnerships and building our capacity to grow the home libraries,” says Delbecchi. “Preliminary data from our 2023 Community Schools research shows our scholars now report they have at least ten or more books in their home libraries. We still have a long way to go, but this is positive news for our continued partnership with Imperial Supplies and BCUW for our annual Summer Book Sendoff.”

More than 700 books have been given out to students since the inaugural drive in 2021.

About Brown County United Way: Founded in 1925, Brown County United Way (BCUW) is a center for community-based strategies. Through direct fundraising, grant-making, community mobilization, and advocacy efforts, Brown County United Way leverages its organizational resources and deep local partnerships to advance targeted community solutions. With the help of more than 500 community volunteers from all community sectors, Brown County United Way is dedicated to finding solutions to the community’s most pressing human services issues.
About Imperial Supplies Imperial Supplies, LLC: Founded in 1958, Imperial services customers through a nationwide network of fleet maintenance and shop supplies.