The Sarasota Housing Authority will partner with the Sarasota Police Department once again for the annual Books and Badges Literacy Event.  Books and Badges will be held on Tuesday, July 16, 2019 at 3 p.m. to coincide with National Summer Learning Week.

This dual-purpose event will provide free books for low-income children to read and mitigate against summer learning loss, as well as provide positive interaction with officers.  Officers and representatives from the Sarasota Housing Authority will hand out books and ice cream to children to continue to connect and foster relationships and trust between the Sarasota Police Department and families in north Sarasota.

“This is a perfect event to build on two key initiatives – fostering positive relationships between police and our families, and early childhood education, as a way to equip our children to succeed in school and life,” said William Russell, CEO, Sarasota Housing Authority.

“This is an outstanding opportunity for our officers and children in our community to spend time connecting,” said Chief Bernadette DiPino.  “Reading helps to expand the education, future and dreams of our children.  I’m excited for our agency to partner again with the Sarasota Housing Authority on this community event.”

The event will feature Sarasota Police officers handing out books to children ages 2 to 16 at low-income housing communities in north Sarasota.  Hundreds of books will be handed out to more than 300 children at 1912 North Orange Avenue.

This program has been made possible through the generous support of the Community Foundation of Sarasota County, Education Foundation of Sarasota County, Sarasota County Libraries, with book donations provided by:  Algonquin Books for Young Readers and Workman Publishing, Candlewick Press, Hachette Book Group, HarperCollins Publishers, Macmillan Publishers, Penguin Random House, Scholastic, and Simon & Schuster.

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