GS Troop 657 is working on a community service Silver Award Project to increase reading skills and the love of reading through the availability of books in an under-served school. As members of the Riverside/Brookfield community we are very fortunate to have outstanding schools and libraries that have served to foster our love for books, the girls of Troop 657 want to give that same opportunity to kids that do not have those same resources. They have selected to help the K-8th graders at Corkery Elementary School located in the Little Village neighborhood of Chicago. Through a used book drive and a new book fair they will build classroom libraries with enough books to meet and grow each child’s reading level. The goal is to donate 1000 books to each grade!

Troop 24 Scouts and families can help in two ways:

• Please consider donating any gently used children’s books appropriate for ages 3-14. Scouts can bring donated books to troop meetings on December 5 and December 12. Girl Scouts will have a collection box available at those meetings.
• Join Girl Scout Troop 657, with Scholastic Books, at the Arcade Building for the Holiday Book Fair during the Riverside Holiday Stroll, on December 6, from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. to shop for best-selling titles for all ages, interesting reads, and holiday classics. This is a great opportunity to give the gift of reading to your friends and family while sharing that gift with Corkery Elementary. All profits from the book fair will be used to purchase new books for the Corkery classroom libraries.

More information is available here: Holiday Book Fair flyer