A lifelong love of reading starts at an early age, but many of Oregon's youth do not have access to the books that many of us take for granted. The Salem Convention Center believes all children should benefit from the presence of literature throughout their development. We are delighted, then, to participate in this year's Reading for All Holiday Book Drive. Each year, the Reading for All initiative invites the community to donate new or slightly used books for youth of all ages -- from infancy through early adulthood -- for distribution to the local children and families that need them. Please help us repeat last year's spectacular success and surpass the goal of 12 thousand books in 12 days. The holiday book drive is underway right now. We encourage everyone to bring donations to any of participating drop sites (find the site nearest you at the Reading for All home page). On the drive's final day, Wednesday, December 12, we will host a convenient drive-through location at the Conference Center's west side from 9 am to 5:30 pm. We hope to see you there! The drive welcomes excellent-condition books for all age groups, from Seuss to Steinbeck. English, Spanish and Russian bilingual books are especially valuable for our community. Please see the Reading for All Holiday Book Drive page for specifics on donation sites and volunteering possibilities. The promotion of literacy in our youth is a cause we strongly support. We hope you'll join us this holiday season and spread this valuable resource. photo credit: John-Morgan via photopin cc
