Successful Summer Reading Program Leads To $4,525 Donation To Feed Arlington's Hungry

ARLINGTON, VA — Reading books has been known to feed people's minds with new ideas. This week, reading books turned out to also be away to actually feed people thanks to the 2021 Summer Reading Challenge at the Arlington Public Library, according to a county release.

On Wednesday, library officials were joined by representatives of the Friends of the Arlington Public Library (FOAL) and the county's Department of Technology Services in donating a $4,525 check to the Arlington Food Assistance Center (AFAC). The amount of the donation represents the number of library readers who completed the recent summer reading challenge.

“We are delighted that the donation will assist AFAC in their mission to provide Arlington residents in need with dignified access to nutritious food,” said Kelly Fado, FOAL president, in a release.

Every week since 1988, AFAC has been providing groceries to hungry Arlington families. In Fiscal Year 2020, the nonprofit donated 3 million pounds to underserved communities.

“We are thankful for being part of this fantastic program that encourages people of all ages to continue reading and to help us feed our neighbors in need,” said AFAC CEO Charles Meng, in a release.

Arlingtonians participating last summer's reading program benefitted from an enhanced library app. DTS staff upgraded many features on the app, so that readers could manage multiple reading logs and track their progress. Since it was first introduced, the app has been downloaded 42,000 times.

“We are fortunate to have partners like the DTS staff who understand what public service is. The app increases our ability to reach patrons and made a big difference with our Summer Reading programs,” said APL Director Diane Kresh, in a release.