Little Free Library in Torrance Police Station
Funded by The Louis Zamperini Foundation
For Immediate Release - Torrance, CA: On Monday, April 13th, Clay Zamperini, Executive Director, Victory Boys Camp / The Louis Zamperini Foundation www.louiszamperinifoundation.org and grandson of the late Torrance Hometown Hero, Louis Zamperini, will install a Little Free Library in the lobby of the Torrance Police Department. The Louis Zamperini Foundation is teaming with A Chance for Children (ACFC) www.achanceforchildren.org to promote and create literacy -- starting in the lobbies of Los Angeles Police Departments (LAPD). The concept of the Little Free Librarywww.LittleFreeLibrary.org is "take a book, return a book."
A Ribbon cutting event and the reading of a story to a class of 35 pre-schoolers from First Lutheran school in Torrance will take place on Monday, April 13th, 2015, at 10:00 AM, in front of the Torrance Police Station (3300 Civic Center Drive, Torrance, CA 90503).
Louis Zamperini had a close connection with the Torrance Police Dept., as that is how is track career "unofficially" got started --running from the police. It began at the early age of two, when he was sick with pneumonia, he climbed out his window "and went on a naked dash through town with a policeman chasing him and a crowd watching in amazement," as noted in the Young Reader's edition of Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand.
A Chance for Children has worked year round since 1994 with homeless and disadvantaged youth in Los Angeles providing a variety of educational and athletic activities, after school programs, summer camps, and college tuition. Their latest endeavor has been Little Free Libraries in the lobbies of LAPD stations.
Louis Zamperini was a great supporter of ACFC for almost 20 years, giving his time every summer to speak at their summer camp, as well as participating in many events from hikes to USC football game outings throughout the year.
It is the idea of keeping these partnerships alive that The Louis Zamperini Foundation and A Chance for Children have partnered with the LAPD and Little Free Libraries to bring a library to the Torrance Police Department. Torrance Chief of Police, Mark Matsuda, said, "Child custody exchanges take place in the police department lobby regularly and the Little Free Library will be a welcoming activity for all involved."
The books target children ages six - 16, and are free. All children are invited to stop by and pick out a book (or two) to read or drop one off to share. The Little Free Library at the Torrance Police Dept. will be maintained by the Juvenile Diversion Dept. -- book donations are welcome. From the stomping grounds of Louis Zamperini, the Old Torrance Neighborhood Association is starting the donation campaign by giving 10 copies of the Young Reader's edition of Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand to this library. For those interested in making donations, contact Shannon Flannery, M.A., MFT, Juvenile Diversion Coordinator, at 310.618.5555 or SFlannery@TorranceCA.Gov.