Kia
Motors America (KMA), one of the fastest-growing car companies in the
U.S., is bringing its “Books on Wheels” program to Southern California.
Teaming up with nonprofit social enterprise First Book and CBS
EcoMedia’s EducationAd program, Kia volunteers will distribute 40,000
books to area educators and teachers.
The
books recently arrived on an 18-wheeler truck at a local warehouse
space operated by national charity Feed The Children, one of First
Book’s longtime partners. Today, volunteers from CBS, Kia and First Book
will help transform the warehouse space into an exclusive shopping area
full of brand-new, high-quality books for greater Los Angeles-area
students. On Saturday, Oct. 17, hundreds of local teachers and educators
will have an opportunity to select books for their students at a book
fair-style event.
Having
books to read – at home and in the classroom – is the number one
predictor of reading success. Yet, in some of the lowest-income
communities in this country, there is only one book for every 300
children. The nonprofit social enterprise First Book’s “Books on Wheels”
program will deliver a huge influx of educational resources to make a
significant impact in the lives of children from low-income families
across the greater Los Angeles area, thanks to Kia’s support.
“Kia’s
support of First Book is a continuation of our commitment to youth
empowerment and education,” said Phil Kelley, Executive Director,
Western Region, KMA. “We are proud to support educators and students
across Southern California with 40,000 books in the communities we call
home.”
“Fostering
a lifelong love of reading in children requires a plentiful supply of
high-quality, engaging books,” said Kyle Zimmer, President and CEO of
First Book. “By putting these critical educational resources into the
hands of local children, Kia and CBS EcoMedia are improving lives today
and investing in the future of their community.”
“The
simple act of reading can open a child’s eyes to the world’s limitless
possibilities,” said Paul Polizzotto, President and Founder of CBS
EcoMedia. “For children who don’t have access to books, it’s difficult
to dream. Now, thanks to Kia and First Book, classroom libraries in
underserved schools across Southern California will burst with new books
to inspire and educate young readers. Getting books and other critical
educational resources to kids; that’s the goal of our EducationAd
Program.”
About Kia Motors America
Kia
Motors America (KMA) is the marketing and distribution arm of Kia
Motors Corporation based in Seoul, South Korea. KMA proudly serves as
the “Official Automotive Partner” of the NBA and LPGA and set an
all-time annual sales record in 2014, surpassing the 500,000 unit mark
for the third consecutive year. KMA offers a complete line of vehicles,
including the rear-drive K900 flagship sedan[1], Cadenza premium sedan, Sorento CUV, Soul urban
passenger vehicle, Soul Electric Vehicle[2], Sportage compact CUV,
Optima midsize sedan, Optima Hybrid, the Forte compact sedan, Forte5 and
Forte Koup, Rio and
Rio 5-door subcompacts and the Sedona midsize multi-purpose vehicle,
through a network of more than 765 dealers across the United States.
Kia’s U.S. manufacturing plant in West Point, Georgia, builds the
Optima* and Sorento* and is responsible for the creation of more than
15,000 plant and supplier jobs.
Information about KMA and its full vehicle line-up is available at www.kia.com. For media information, including photography, visit www.kiamedia.com.
First
Book is a nonprofit social enterprise that has distributed more than
130 million books and educational resources to programs and schools
serving children from low-income families throughout the United States
and Canada. By making new, high-quality books available on an ongoing
basis, First Book is transforming the lives of children in need and
elevating the quality of education. For more information, please visit
them online or follow their latest news on Facebook and Twitter.
About Feed the Children
Feed
the Children believes that they can create a world where no child goes
to bed hungry. Since 1979, Feed the Children has grown into one of the
largest U.S.-based charities. They are accredited by GuideStar Exchange
and the BBB Wise Giving Alliance, maintain a 3-star rating from Charity
Navigator, and are also a member of InterAction. Through their network
agencies, Feed the Children distributed over $344 million in food, other
necessities, educational supplies, and medicine, impacting close to 9
million individuals in the U.S. and over 4.9 million individuals
globally in fiscal year 2014.
Visit http://www.feedthechildren.org for more information.
About CBS EcoMedia Inc.
EcoMedia
was founded in 2002 by social entrepreneur Paul Polizzotto. The
company's mission is to harness the power of the advertising dollar to
make tangible, quality of life improvements in communities nationwide.
In 2010, after successfully partnering on a wide range of environmental
projects, EcoMedia was acquired by CBS Corporation, exponentially
scaling its reach across television, radio, interactive, and publishing
media.
Through
EcoMedia's patent-pending EcoAd, as well as EducationAd, WellnessAd,
Viewers to Volunteers and Volunteering with the Stars advertising
programs, national brands and local businesses provide millions of
dollars in financial support to some of the nation's most effective
nonprofit organizations, funding critical veterans’, education, health
and wellness, and environmental projects nationwide.
EcoMedia's
innovative and proprietary business model has fundamentally altered the
advertising and nonprofit landscapes, elevating the ordinary,
traditional commercial – and media, in general – into a catalyst for
tangible, quantifiable social change.
EcoMedia
has earned numerous awards and recognitions for its work, including the
U.S. Conference of Mayors Award for Excellence in Public Private
Partnerships (2009), Edison Awards for Social Innovation and Social
Impact (2012, 2013), and the Starlight Children's Foundation's “General
H. Norman Schwarzkopf Leadership Award,” which honors individual and
organizational leaders who are doing extraordinary work to advance the
common good and strengthen their communities.
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