Pa. stake collects books for local schools

Amber Martin (pictured on the right) and Kortney Kline (left) are closer to earning their Young Womens Personal Progress Award after organizing all the youth in the Valley Forge Stake (Philadelphia) to donate their reading books to an inner city school. A stake youth dance was held and the admission fee was to bring some books. They managed to collect more than 500. The Philadelphia School System selected Dimner Beeber Middle School as the recipient and the donation was made Principal Joseph Starinieri, Principal and the students. Amber and her grandmother, Rose Martin, heard on the radio one morning that there was a dearth of books in the Philadelphia inner city schools and that spawned the idea. Amber and Kortney said it was an awesome experience to galvanize their friends into donating lots of books (even their cherished Harry Potters) to give to fellow students in Philadelphia."It was difficult for these youth to imagine that there are schools right here in Philadelphia with very few reading books," said Patricia Geraghty, with the Valley Forge Stake Public Affairs.