Bring Me A Book Foundation Receives Support of Cisco Employees

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., Aug. 22 /PRNewswire/ — Bring Me A Book Foundation(R), 501 (c) (3) award winning literacy non profit, and Cisco’s Customer Advocacy group are proud to announce the kickoff of their collaboration towards bringing a love of reading for children in low income communities across the country. Beginning in August 2007, Bring Me A Book with the generous support of Cisco Customer Advocacy employees will provide children and parents in underserved communities the opportunity to bolster literacy rates while providing high quality resources to effectively instill a love of literature among needy children.

Initializing in August and continuing throughout the remainder of 2007, Bring Me A Book will place their innovative Bookcase Libraries throughout the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, Seattle, New York, Denver, San Antonio and Minneapolis. In addition to installing new Bookcase Library programs, funds from Bring Me A Book and Cisco will also serve to enhance existing programs in areas where Bring Me A Book is already making a difference in the lives of children and community members.

In May, Cisco’s Customer Advocacy organization held an auction for Bring Me A Book and raised over $60,000 towards the funding and installation of Bring Me A Book Foundation’s benchmark program, the Bookcase Library. Comprised of over 100 individual employee donations, Cisco’s Customer Advocacy’s group has enabled Bring Me A Book to rapidly expand the placement of literature and literacy training in areas lacking the funding and resources to ensure promotion of early reading skills. Bring Me A Book is projected to establish over 60 new bookcase libraries through the end of 2007.

“Giving back is part of Cisco’s DNA,” says George O’Meara, senior vice president Cisco Customer Advocacy. “This spirit of giving continues to this day, with annual volunteer drives and friendly ‘competitions’ among Cisco groups. Bring Me A Book Foundation is a perfect fit for our focus on helping out a small, but growing non profit organization which is spreading across the US & Canada, and which is committed to bringing the gift of reading to children.”

Thanks in part to Cisco’s contribution, Bring Me A Book will install new maple wood bookcases filled with high quality, hard cover children’s literary classics and newly published books for children throughout the country. As one of Bring Me A Book’s landmark innovative programs, the Bookcase Library provides children with heightened access to exceptional quality, age appropriate and culturally diverse children’s literature. All books placed in the Bookcase Library are hand selected by an internationally renowned literacy expert, providing communities with the highest caliber of literature crucial towards developing early literacy skills.

The Bring Me A Book Foundation(R) is a 501 (c) (3) award winning literacy non profit headquartered in Mountain View, CA. Bring Me A Book Foundation(R) provides libraries and training programs for children who do not have access to high quality books and reading assistance. Serving needy children and families in 8 states and 7 countries throughout the world, The Bring Me A Book Foundation(R) serves preschools, childcare centers, health clinics, homeless shelters and the work place. For additional information or media inquiries please contact Erin Smith via telephone (650) 625-5000 ext 224 or through email esmith@bringmeabook.org.

Bring Me A Book Foundation

CONTACT: Erin Smith of Bring Me A Book Foundation, +1-650-625-5000,ext. 224, esmith@bringmeabook.org

Web site: http://www.bringmeabook.org/