News

One hundred literacy kits provide books, bookmarks, and activities delivered to students at Parker Elementary School with the theme of creating a brew-tiful day in the neighborhood.    

Trenton, New Jersey– April 26, 2022 – On April 4, 2022, The Trenton Literacy Movement and Reading is Fundamental (RIF) teamed up with Trenton Starbucks Community Store employees to assemble and deliver 100 literacy kits to the students of Clara Parker Elementary, a public school in Trenton.  RIF’s literacy kits provide new books and reading resources for children to take home and own, building their home libraries and creating a life-long love of reading. Each student received a tote bag with:  

• three books with bookplates that provide a special place for children to write their name,  
• a bookmark,  
• an activity sheet to extend their reading experience beyond the book, and 
•  a thank you coloring sheet that can be completed and returned.     

RIF provided the kit materials to Starbucks Community Stores across the country to assemble and distribute to children at a local school. The stores selected a theme and were sent books and activity sheets that aligned with that theme. The Starbucks Community Store in Trenton selected “The Power of Inclusion: Diversity, Equity, & Empowerment.”   

While the Starbucks team was putting together 100 kits, RIF partnered with The Trenton Literacy Movement to leverage their local network and secure a recipient school that would benefit most from the donation. The Trenton Literacy Movement connected RIF and Starbucks to Clara Parker Elementary, located just a mile away from the store. In the first week of April, the kits were completed and dropped off at the school for distribution.  

Alicia Levi, President & CEO of Reading Is Fundamental commented, “Reading Is Fundamental is thrilled to bring together Starbucks and The Trenton Literacy Movement to enable the distribution of diverse books and reading resources to Parker Elementary School. It is through these types of collaborative efforts that we can provide students with books they can take home and own to inspire an ongoing passion for reading which is critical to creating engaged and proficient readers.”  

Gloria Jean Tunstall, Vice President of the Trenton Literacy Movement board and longtime Trenton educator said, “These books donated by Starbucks, and in partnership with RIF, are simply amazing and will benefit these deserving youngsters and bring a joy of reading into the homes of so many families.”  

Ms. Lorcha Lewis, Principal at Clara Parker Elementary School added, “On behalf of Parker School, thank you Starbucks for your generous contribution of books for our students. These culturally representative books will be a wonderful addition to our students' home libraries and support our efforts to ensure every child has access to meaningful reading material. A huge thank you to the Trenton Literacy Movement for their continued work in recognizing the importance of literacy at home and in school and making the recommendation for Parker students to be the recipients of this wonderful donation.”  

Kiana Justiniano, Store Manager for the Trenton Starbucks Community Store at 102 South Warren Street commented, “It was so wonderful to be able to partner with Reading Is Fundamental and the Trenton Literacy Movement to bring these books to the students. Fostering a sense of belonging in our stores is core to who we are at Starbucks, so it’s great to be able to provide books on these topics for children. As one of 23 Starbucks Community Stores in the country, we have a unique opportunity to see firsthand the difference we can make in the community. Thank you to RIF for being our partner and the Trenton Literacy Movement.”  

About The Trenton Literacy Movement, Inc.:  The Trenton Literacy Movement, Inc., was established in 2016 with the goal of identifying and applying educational technologies to improve reading outcomes for children in Trenton, NJ. Our mission is to ensure that all Trenton school children read at grade level by 3rd grade. "We believe children first learn to read and then read to learn; -- Edward W. Bullock, TTLM President, and former Vice President, Diversity and Inclusion, L'Oréal, USA. “Because they lack reading skills, Trenton’s youngest students are behind the learning eight ball and many may never catch up. The Trenton Literacy Movement, Inc., seeks to put our youngsters on track for a better and more rewarding life.” Douglas H. Palmer, TTLM Chairman and former Mayor of Trenton.    

About Starbucks:  Since 1971, Starbucks Coffee Company has been committed to ethically sourcing and roasting high-quality Arabica coffee. Today, with more than 34,000 stores worldwide, the company is the premier roaster and retailer of specialty coffee in the world. Through our unwavering commitment to excellence and our guiding principles, we bring the unique Starbucks Experience to life for every customer through every cup. To share in the experience, please visit us in our stores or online at stories.starbucks.com or www.starbucks.com  

About Starbucks Community Stores:  Starbucks Community Stores are dedicated to providing economic opportunities in underserved rural and urban communities across the country. These stores focus on hiring locally, creating dedicated spaces for communities to come together for events, and working with diverse contractors for store construction and remodels.   

About Reading Is Fundamental:  Reading Is Fundamental (RIF) is committed to a literate America by inspiring a passion for reading among all children, providing quality content to create impact, and engaging communities in the solution to give every child the fundamentals for success. As the nation’s largest nonprofit organization for children’s literacy, RIF has provided more than 420 million books to over 100 million kids in all 50 states, inspiring generations to read, learn and grow. For more information, please visit https://www.rif.org/