Berries For Books: Sweet Way To Promote Literacy In DC's Ward 8

GREAT FALLS, VA — Samantha A. Grayer, a 15-year-old sophomore at Langley High School, has come with a sweet way to support literacy in Washington, D.C.

Grayer launched Berries for Books, a 501(c)(3) charity benefiting elementary students living in Ward 8, which Southeast D.C. Students there have a reading proficiency rate of 11 percent and Grayer launched her charity to help improve that number.

"I decided to establish Berries for Books to promote and support child literacy," Grayer said, on the Berries for Books website. "I want to give other students an opportunity to explore their love for English. A strong reading and writing foundation can open a world of opportunities."

Berries for Books is hosting a book drive through this Friday. The charity is collecting new or gently used books for students PreK-5th grade. For nonfiction books, chose those with a copyright of 2019 or later. Also, fiction should be age-appropriate and politically correct.

When available, Berries for Books will provide chocolate covered strawberries to show their gratitude to those who make cash donations to the charity's PayPal account.

To schedule a book pickup, email contact@berriesforbooks.org. Donations may also be made by ordering from the charity's Amazon Wish List.

Books may also be dropped off at the following locations:

Huntington Learning Center
366 Elden St.
Herndon, VA 20190

Thelo Greek
10123 Colvin Run Road
Great Falls, VA 22066

Great Dogs
9859 Walker Road
Great Falls, VA 22066