In the season of giving, Fort Mill company gifts books to Charlotte area teachers
Local teachers and administrators had the opportunity to help themselves to brand-new, free books at Classroom Central today, courtesy of Fort Mill-based Domtar Corporation.
As part of its Powerful Pages initiative, Domtar has for years partnered with First Book and Classroom Central, two nonprofit organizations that provide children with necessary supplies for learning. Domtar makes a wide variety of everyday products from sustainable wood fiber, including communication, specialty and packaging papers, market pulp and absorbent hygiene products. Domtar’s U.S. Corporate Office in Fort Mill employs nearly 600 people in the local community.
Teachers and administrators from Mecklenburg and York County public schools “shopped” for brand new books at Classroom Central in Charlotte last week.
“Domtar and First Book’s generous donation of 40,000 books will provide thousands of children in the greater Charlotte area with access to brand-new books,” said Karen Calder, Executive Director of Classroom Central. “For many of these children, the books they will receive may be the first book they can call their own.”
Volunteers from Domtar and First Book delivered the truck of 40,000 books to Classroom Central earlier in the week. The volunteers then sorted and shelved the books for children of all ages, creating an inviting bookstore atmosphere where teachers and administrators can choose up to 200 books each to pass out to their students or use in their classroom libraries. The donation is part of Domtar’s annual contribution to First Book. Just last year, Domtar and First Book donated another truck of 40,000 books to Classroom Central for the same purpose.
“Domtar has provided thousands of brand new books to underserved children across North America with our First Book partnership-- it’s a cause that is close to our hearts and core to our business,” said Domtar Corporate Responsibility Manager, Heather Alverson Stowe. “We’re proud to have our U.S. Corporate Office right outside Charlotte in Fort Mill, and we’re committed to promoting literacy, one of our core corporate giving pillars, by putting books in the hands of children in this community where we live and operate.”
To learn more, visit domtar.com and firstbook.org.
This story was originally published December 14, 2017 at 4:06 PM with the headline "In the season of giving, Fort Mill company gifts books to Charlotte area teachers."