TATAS GIVE 65,000 NEW BOOKS TO POOR US KIDS
Washington, February 28, 2008 (IANS)

The Tata Group North America has joined First Book, a non-profit organisation, in a programme to distribute 65,000 new books to children from low-income families across the US. Second grade students from Dodge Park Elementary School in Maryland were the first students to receive the brand new books Wednesday with the support of the Tatas. The students participated in reading circles with Tata company representatives to celebrate First Book's mission to provide new books to disadvantaged children.

Kyle Zimmer, president of First Book, said: "First Book is tremendously grateful for the generous support of the Tata Group and its companies, which will help to share the joy of reading and learning with thousands of children in need across the United States. "Through the magic of books, First Book and the Tata Group are helping children to discover new worlds and realise brighter futures."

David Good, chief representative of the Tata Group North America, said: "The Tata Group has a long heritage of focussing on education in the communities in which it operates. We believe that doing good is doing good business and this is a good example of how we use our resources constructively to invest in future generations.

"The Tata Group is proud that so many of our companies have pooled their resources and attention to make a difference in the education of so many children."

First Book, a non-profit organisation with the mission to give children from low-income families the opportunity to read and own their first new books, has provided more than 50 million new books to children in need in thousands of communities in the US.

As the largest India-headquartered multinational in North America, Tata has more than 80 offices in the US and Canada and more than 15,000 employees. With more than 60 years of experience in North America and a century of leadership in India, Tata Group companies generate more than $25 billion in annual revenues and employ more than a quarter million people across 85 countries and six continents.