France Beard and Angela Winters, principal at James C. Rosser Elementary School, look over some of the books Beard delivered to the school.
Miss University France Beard visited the Mississippi Delta earlier this week to deliver more than 1,600 books to schools in need.
Beard organized book drives in her hometown of Madison and in Oxford, the latter through the service honor society Gamma Beta Phi at the University of Mississippi. After research and several phone calls, she determined that Moorhead Middle School, James C. Rosser Elementary School, Quitman Elementary School and Quitman County Middle School had the greatest need for new books.
France Beard reads to a second-grade class at Quitman Elementary School.
“I think the best way to overcome illiteracy in Mississippi is to provide the tools the students need,” Beard said. “Stocking libraries makes a lasting difference. That’s the first step to take, especially in schools that need it.”
Beard plans to deliver more books later this month to Blair E. Batson Children’s Hospital in Jackson.