First Book And Conn's, Inc. To Provide More Than 30,000 New Books To Kids In Need

By: Christina Mancuso Feb. 18, 2015

WASHINGTON, Feb. 18, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ First Book today announced a new partnership with specialty retailer Conn's, Inc. that will provide new books to tens of thousands of children in need across the country. Together in 2015, First Book and Conn's, Inc. will distribute more than 30,000 books to educators and program leaders serving kids from low-income families.

First Book, a nonprofit social enterprise that provides new books and educational resources to kids in need, joins Conn's as the inaugural partner in their new Conn's Cares philanthropic program. Conn's chose First Book to help address the lack of books available to children in many of the communities the retailer serves.

"Books are critical to a child's success, in school and in life. But in too many homes, schools and communities, books are rare," said Kyle Zimmer, president and CEO of First Book. "We are thrilled to partner with Conn's, a company with a long legacy of commitment to education, to provide vital books and educational resources to children in need across the country."

The partnership kicks off in Houston later this month with a distribution of 20,000 books to area educators. Over the next nine months, more than 90 schools and other organizations in communities Conn's serves will receive grants to acquire new books and educational resources through First Book. In addition, First Book will mobilize Conn's store associates in reading with kids and donating 1,000 books each at reading parties in Memphis, Charlotte, Phoenix and Denver.

"Education has always been a focus of our company," said Theodore M. Wright, Conn's chairman and chief executive officer. "We know that children in many of our communities lack access to books, and we are committed to the idea that every child should have the opportunity to succeed. We feel fortunate to partner with First Book and look forward to Conn's Cares becoming an enduring investment in the children in the communities we serve."

About First Book
First Book is a nonprofit social enterprise that has distributed more than 155 million books and educational resources to programs and schools serving children from low-income families through the United States and Canada. By making new, high-quality books available on an ongoing basis, First Book is transforming the lives of children in need and elevating the quality of education. For more information, visit firstbook.org or follow the latest news on Facebook and Twitter.

About Conn's
Conn's is a specialty retailer currently operating more than 90 retail locations in Arizona, Colorado, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas. The Company's primary product categories include:

Furniture and mattress, including furniture and related accessories for the living room, dining room and bedroom, as well as both traditional and specialty mattresses;
Home appliance, including refrigerators, freezers, washers, dryers, dishwashers and ranges;
Consumer electronics, including LCD, LED, 3-D, Ultra HD and plasma televisions, Blu-ray players, home theater and video game products, digital cameras and portable audio equipment; and
Home office, including computers, tablets, printers and accessories.

Additionally, Conn's offers a variety of products on a seasonal basis. Unlike many of its competitors, Conn's provides flexible in-house credit options for its customers in addition to third-party financing programs and third party rent-to-own payment plans.

Contact
Julia Hornaday
jhornaday@firstbook.org
202-639-0114

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SOURCE First Book