A group of 11-year-old girls and boys in the Olney  neighborhood of North Philadelphia received a wonderful gift from the Oxford Valley Barnes and Noble store in Fairless Hills, PA – brand new copies of the bestselling book Wonder, by R.J. Palacio!  Local store management at this Barnes and Noble outlet chose to make the donation after learning about the exceptional group of children who attend summer and afterschool programming offered by Catholic Social Services at the St. Helena Incarnation Out-of-School Time (OST) Program in Olney.

Literacy support is a major component of OST program design, in addition to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) activities.  By placing this outstanding and popular book in the hands of these children, the Barnes and Noble donation encourages their habit of regular reading and, in this case, fosters reflection on invaluable life lessons about kindness and friendship.

Catholic Social Services sends out a resounding thank you to Barnes and Noble in Fairless Hills for making a difference in the lives of the children we serve. Their act of generosity reflects the simple yet profound theme of the book: when given the choice, choose kindness. We appreciate their support and proudly count Barnes and Nobles amongst our “neighborhood friends.”