When Jensen Garrett was recommended to attend a summer youth leadership program at Yale University in the summer of 2014, she took advantage of the opportunity to broaden her horizons.

Jensen enjoyed meeting young people from all around the United States. From the motivation speakers, she learned leadership skills and how to be a good follower. She learned the importance of being involved in one’s community and the value placed on community servants.

At the Yale youth leadership program, Jensen was inspired and motivated to community service through participation in a community service project in which she helped pack literacy kits for children in Connecticut.

For some time, the Pike Liberal Arts sophomore has wanted to organize a service project in the local community. In talking with her mom, Jennifer C. Garrett, she decided that she would like to make books available to young students as encouragement for them to continue reading over the summer.

“I have always loved to read, especially fiction,” she said. “I think reading is important and it’s fun. Everybody needs to read.”

So, as a way to encourage young children to read over the summer break, Jensen has organized a book drive and will donate the books she collects to kindergarten and first-grade students at New Life Christian Academy and Covenant Christian School.

She is collecting gently used and new books that are age appropriate for kindergarten and first-grade students.

“I would like to collect enough books to give the students in kindergarten and first grade at those two schools two books each to take home,” Jensen said. “That way, they would have books of their own to read during the summer.”

Those who would like to be a part of Jensen’s community service book drive but don’t have books to donate, may make a monetary donation to the book drive.

“Any monetary donations to the project will be used to purchase Scholastic books,” said Jensen’s mom.

Books may be delivered and donations made at the Piggly Wiggly locations on U.S. Highway 231 and North Three Notch Street in Troy and on North Main Street in Brundidge through April 30.

Jensen will present the books to the students at New Life Christian Academy and Covenant Christian in May.