Friday, August 23, 2024 JetBlue has officially launched the fourteenth edition of its annual Soar with Reading program, this time in collaboration with Little Free Library. The initiative kicked off with a special book-sharing event at the Centro Tau Community Center in Loíza, Puerto Rico. As Puerto Rico’s leading airline, JetBlue and Little Free Library have installed seven book-sharing boxes across the island, enhancing access to literature for readers of all ages.
“We are excited to bring our beloved Soar with Reading program to the island for the first time, helping connect more youth with the joys of reading and imagination,” said Icema Gibbs, vice president of CSR and DEI, JetBlue . “With seven physical Little Free Library book-sharing boxes placed within key community centers across Puerto Rico, we demonstrate our commitment to increasing access to valuable educational resources for our crewmembers, customers and the communities we serve.” Since 2015, JetBlue’s award-winning Soar with Reading program has addressed the challenge of book scarcity in underserved communities, where access to age-appropriate literature for children is often limited.
Through this partnership, book-sharing boxes, also known as ‘libraries,’ have been placed in key locations within the communities of Aguadilla, Ponce, and San Juan. These libraries allow residents to freely exchange books, offering a diverse range of new titles in both English and Spanish. Housed in high-traffic community centers, the libraries feature a wide selection of books, catering to different reading levels and tastes, with a focus on inclusive authors and representative titles.
To date, JetBlue’s Soar with Reading initiative has donated more than $4 million worth of books to children in need. “It is an honor to be working with JetBlue in Puerto Rico to expand book access in partnership with their Soar with Reading program. Little Free Library believes that everyone should have the opportunity to be inspired by a personally relevant book, and that opportunity should not be limited by age, income or geography.
Success in that mission relies on the combination of corporate support, community organizations and local volunteers. We are fortunate to be able to work with JetBlue and its crewmembers, JetBlue’s publisher partners, and the local community champions where the Little Free Library book-sharing boxes will be placed,” said Greig Metzger, Little Free Library Executive Director . JetBlue’s publishing partners for this initiative include Barefoot Books, HarperCollins, Lil’ Libros, Penguin Random House, Quarto, Scholastic, and Somos Uno.
The book-sharing boxes can now be found in the following community centers across Aguadilla, Ponce, and San Juan, Puerto Rico: Since its arrival in Puerto Rico in 2002, JetBlue has consistently demonstrated its commitment to the Boricua community by supporting various charitable causes on the island. Through the Soar with Reading program and its partnership with Little Free Library, JetBlue continues to enhance book access across la Isla del Encanto, fostering a lifelong love of reading. This initiative coincides with JetBlue’s efforts to expand connectivity to and from Puerto Rico, including the addition of more destinations within Latin America, the Caribbean, and the U.
S. East Coast. Recently, JetBlue introduced its popular Mint® premium service between New York and San Juan and expressed its intention to apply for slot exemptions with the U.
S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to operate a second daily nonstop flight between Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) and Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (SJU) in San Juan. Alongside these route expansions, JetBlue plans to establish a new pilot and flight attendant crew base in San Juan, with the first phase opening by the end of 2024, and expects to create over 400 local jobs by 2025.
Currently, JetBlue employs more than 370 crewmembers across Puerto Rico, supporting operations in San Juan, Aguadilla, and Ponce. JetBlue For Good® – Soar with Reading is a signature initiative under JetBlue For Good, the airline’s platform for social impact and corporate responsibility. Giving back is deeply embedded in JetBlue’s values, aligning with its mission to bring humanity back to air travel.
Focused on volunteerism and service, JetBlue For Good initiatives emphasize community service and youth/education programs that resonate with both the airline’s customers and crewmembers..
