ALPENA — March is Reading Month and many of the local schools celebrate it.

HPC Credit Union came up with an initiative to bring brand new books to local elementary schools in the areas that they serve. After speaking with Meaghan Gauthier with Alpena Public Schools and Sara Grochowski with the Alpena County Library, HPC found that there is a need for new books in the elementary libraries.

HPC Marketing Coordinator Ellie Kindt and Grochowski worked together to pick out the perfect books for eight different elementary school libraries: Besser Elementary, Hinks Elementary, Lincoln Elementary, Wilson Elementary, Ella White Elementary, Sanborn Elementary, Surline Elementary, and Mio Ausable Schools.

HPC Credit Union was able to purchase over 230 brand-new books and donate them to the eight schools and one local library. Not only was this a need for the libraries but HPC Credit Union thought this would be a great way to motivate the students to read after finding out that their school library was getting brand-new books. On top of this initiative, HPC staff members were able to go into schools during the month of March and read to some of the classrooms as guest readers.

HPC Credit Union looks forward to bringing more brand-new books to the local area schools in the future.