A group of brokers from Colliers International in Greater Phoenix recently donated over 5,000 books to several local charities.
Colliers’ Team Literacy consisted of Kathy Foster, senior vice president; Phil Breidenbach, executive vice president; Lindsey Carlson, vice president; Peter Nieman, executive vice president; and Sandy Machado, marketing coordinator.
The brokers collected mostly children’s books such as “Puppies and Kittens,” “I Love Snow,” and “Colors All Around.” The team gives back to the community each year.
The group donated books to Southwest Human Development for its Raising a Reader and Reach Out and Read programs. The Strong Foundations, Homeward Bound and M.L. King Elementary School’s Head Start program in Phoenix also received donated books.
“Each year we select a deserving charity to help during the holiday season,” Foster said. “The donation brings us closer together and we enjoy supporting the charity’s mission.”
The brokers spent months collecting books from friends, setting aside used books from their homes and buying books at discounted prices. After a donation, Goodwill provided more than 1,600 pounds of books that had not been sold in the retail stores. The brokers’ children even pitched in by cleaning the books while Dircks Moving & Logistics of Phoenix donated boxes.
“Goodwill is proud to partner with Colliers International to help donate books to local charities,” says Jackie Halleen, senior vice president of retail operations for Goodwill of Central Arizona. “We know that these books are very much needed and will be greatly appreciated.”
Last year the group donated money to help the Make-A-Wish Foundation provide a Disney World trip for a young girl with cancer.
