Middlesex Savings Bank, First Book Distribute 10,000 Books to MetroWest YMCA

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The MetroWest YMCA received its share of 10,000 new books for its School’s Out after-school program.

The initiative, called 10,000 Adventures, is organized by nonprofit First Book and is funded by Middlesex Savings Bank.

10,000 Adventures reflects the Bank’s belief that every child should experience the adventure of reading to build a life-long love of reading.

“As an independent community bank, Middlesex Savings Bank is able to invest in our community in unique and special ways,” said Dana Neshe, executive vice president and chief community banking officer of Middlesex Savings Bank. “We have a legacy of supporting literacy and the love of reading in our area, whether through reading programs or grants to local libraries. So, we were naturally inclined to get involved when the opportunity to distribute upwards of ten thousand books to local students and school libraries presented itself.”

Through 10,000 Adventures, six area schools will receive books for elementary school students and their libraries this month, including McCarthy Elementary and Wilson Elementary in Framingham.

“The MetroWest YMCA is delighted to collaborate with Middlesex Savings Bank and First Book in encouraging the love of reading and the new avenues it opens for our youth,” said Rick MacPherson, president & CEO of the MetroWest YMCA.

Students will receive a series of adventure-themed books from notable authors such as Norton Juster, E.B. White, and Annie Barrows. Book titles include Phantom Tollbooth, Stuart Little, Little House in the Big Woods, The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything, The Princess in Black, Ivy and Bean, My Side of the Mountain, and many more.

“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, in a press release. “By putting these critical educational resources into the hands of local children, Middlesex Savings Bank is improving lives today and investing in the future of their community.”

Middlesex Savings Bank, founded in 1835 and headquartered in Natick, Mass., is a mutual savings bank. As one of the largest independent banks in Massachusetts with assets exceeding $4 billion, the bank has been committed to providing outstanding value in consumer banking and business banking products for 180 years. The FDIC and DIF insured bank has 30 branch offices located in 24 communities – Acton, Ashland, Bedford, Bellingham, Boxborough, Concord, Framingham, Franklin, Groton, Holliston, Hopkinton, Littleton, Maynard, Medfield, Medway, Millis, Natick, Needham, Sherborn, Southborough, Sudbury, Wayland, Wellesley, and Westford.

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.

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Photos provided by MetroWest YMCA