Written by First Book offices were a flurry recently when surprise visitor Kim Coco Iwamoto of the Hawaii Board of Education dropped in on First Book’s DC headquarters to pay a visit to the staff members behind the books.
Kim Coco Iwamoto Visits with First Book Staff
There’s quite a First Book buzz on the Islands these days. Hawaiians amazed everyone as they sped past other state hopefuls to become this year’s winners of our annual What Book Got You Hooked? contest. The prize? A distribution of 50,000 books. We’re encouraging programs that serve predominantly children in need to register with First Book to find out when this special distribution will take place and connect permanently with First Book resources to help get books for the kids they serve.
Special thanks to First Book Advisory Board members on the ground who will be helping to distribute books to the excited recipients on each of the Hawaii state islands in the coming months!
As a member of the Hawaii Board of Education, Kim Coco is as excited as anyone about the upcoming distribution. She came in and chatted with us about the all the enthusiasm from elementary schools to libraries and after school programs—everyone seems to be bursting with glee over this great win. As Recipient Group Coordinators, Matthew White and I have the pleasure of working one-on-one with potential recipients of books from First Book. We were able to tell Ms. Iwamoto all about the phone calls and emails that have been coming in from the endearing people in Hawaii and in turn, she expressed just what kind of an impact a distribution like this will have.
Ms. Iwamoto left us feeling inspired and thrilled to be working with such positive and energetic Hawaiians on an issue as integral and important as education. It’s always great to meet Recipient Groups and supporters. You are always welcome at First Book!
