In the news:

YNN Report on Bellevue book delivery:
 http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fcentralny.ynn.com%2Fcontent%2Ftop_stories%2F571239%2Fbellevue-elementary-students-receive-books%2F&h=3AQGI2kGvAQH39Ij7pFIeasV-Mjtklr7EudutsnRb6g0tXg


Prudential Spirit of Community Distinguished Finalist:
http://spirit.prudential.com/view/page/soc/307?lp=306&reqid=1560



Sharing my love of books

By Taylor Clark / The Post-Standard

October 04, 2009, 2:05PM

Stephanie Breed, a junior at Fayetteville-Manlius High School wrote this essay for the October 12 Voices page. 


Stephanie Breed, a junior at F-M High School, sorts books for the organization she started called Books are Food for Thought.By Stephanie Breed, Contributing writer

“Wait! Wait! Are you the book lady?”

I stop lifting the book-laden suitcases into the car and turn to see a little girl in a sopping wet bathing suit running toward me. A little boy follows on her heels. She scolds him, “I told you we should have left the pool earlier!” Her frown turns into a grin as I start unzipping the suitcases in the middle of the sweltering parking lot. Little does she know that I am just as excited as she is.

Last year I created a program called Books Are Food for Thought. This program provides new and gently used books to kids in CNY who receive free meals from local agencies.
 My inspiration came from volunteering at the Samaritan Center, a local agency that feeds the hungry. While volunteering, I noticed young children going through the food line. I realized that if their families couldn’t afford food they probably couldn’t afford books. Reading has always been an important part of my life, so I decided to share my passion.

With support from Mary Beth Frey at the Samaritan Center, I soon had a bookshelf at the center that I could fill with books for children and adults to take home. In the past year, I have delivered books to the Rescue Mission and the Food Bank of Central New York’s Kids Cafe locations. I also have regular book deliveries with story times scheduled at the Northeast Community Center, Parkside Community Center, the Southside Church of Christ, Wilson Park Community Center, Schiller Park Community Center, the Bible school program at St. Vincent de Paul Church, and the East Fayette Street Boys and Girls Club.

The books have been donated by my family, friends, parishioners at Immaculate Conception Church in Fayetteville, Science Honor Society members at F-M High School, and through book drives at Wellwood and Eagle Hill middle schools. I have given away more than 2,000 books to more than 200 children.

I believe that it is very important for everyone, including teens, to help out in the community. I encourage more teens to get involved in our community because we have so much energy and tons of new ideas. You can learn a lot by getting involved and gain experiences that will help later in life.

For donations or to identify programs that could use books, please contact stephanie@booksarefoodforthought.org. A book drive is scheduled for March 1 to 25 at Eagle Hill Middle School.


Other Articles:


The Post Standard ran an article in 2009 by Elizabeth Doran, see the article here. 

  Winter 2012 book deliveries:

Wilson Park Community Center 1/4
Parkside Community Center 1/5
Southside Church of Christ 1/7
Say YES program at Shea Elementary School 1/9
East Fayette Boys and Girls Club 1/10
Say YES program at Bellevue Elementary School 1/12



Thank you to Barbara Shields and Zoe Gertner for their January 2012 donation of books!


Thank you to Brenda Younis for her Christmas contribution to Books Are Food for Thought!


Thank you to Kathy House for her December 2011 donation of books.



Thank you to Jim Miller and Dalpos Architects and Integrators for the wonderful posters!



Thank you so much to Eastern Hills Bible Church who held a pancake breakfast that benefited Books Are Food for Thought on October 2nd! We were able to raise about $700 thanks to your generosity! Thanks for coming out! A special thank you to our volunteers and coordinators:
Jamison Davis
Neal Carr
Dennis Murphy
Jo-Ann Carbacio
Lisette and Hannah Brod
The Derrenbacker Family
Katy Younis
Stephen Younis
Tom Younis
Mary and Craig Breed
Jared Rosen
and everyone else who helped out!



Thank you to the following people for their recent cash and book donations:
Mr. Brown, Mr. Weir, Mr. Frankenfield, Mr. and Mrs. Reiser, Sheldon Cox and family, Brenda Younis and family, Kevin Younis and Erin Waterhouse, and Barbara Shields.