For Immediate Release
Contact: Lisa Krebs
310/372-2732; Lisa@pma-online.org

Susan Nicoletti of Literacy For Life Foundation & Lisa Krebs, Associate Director of PMA, at OpUSA warehouse for shipment of books to children affected by Huricanes Katrina & Rita

HOLIDAY GIFTS
for Katrina Youth from Independent Publishers

Manhattan Beach, CA (December 12, 2005) – More than 10,000 new childrens books from PMA, the Independent Book Publishers Association will be shipped this week to the children made homeless and affected by Hurricane Katrina. The project, named “Holiday Gifts for Katrina Children,” began days after the disaster with the idea that the public's interest in the material needs of the children affected by Hurricane Katrina may well have faded by the holidays.

“The thought was to get gifts in the hands of these kids for the holidays,” said Susan Nicoletti, coordinator of the Katrina project. “What we found is that, for some children, this might be the first new book they have ever received. I approached our publisher members with the idea of donating new books as gifts, and the response has been overwhelming.”

The books, children’s and young-adult titles donated by PMA publisher members from all over the US, will be sent in coordination with Operation U.S.A., a charity that has been at the forefront of domestic and international disasters for the past 26 years. Since Hurricane Katrina struck, Operation USA has been providing supplies to approximately 60 school-based clinics near the ravaged areas of Mississippi, Alabama, and Louisiana (www.opusa.org).

PMA will continue in its efforts to assist the Gulf Coast with book donations to restock the libraries destroyed by flooding from the hurricane. For information about these projects, please contact Ms. Nicoletti, Literacy for Life Foundation at susan@pma-online.org or by phone at 310/372-2732.

PMA, the Independent Book Publishers Association is a 25-year-old trade association of independent book publishers providing education and advocacy within the publishing industry.