Blog Posts

From Our Backyard to Their Bookshelves: Driscoll’s Brings Books and Berries to Local Schools

It is often said that it takes a village to raise a child, a sentiment that we here at Reading Is Fundamental (RIF) know to be true. Our village is a vast one; as the nation’s leading children’s literacy nonprofit, we certainly need all the help we can get when it comes to supporting children across the country by providing books and reading resources to those who need them most. 

For the last three years, Driscoll’s Berries has shown steadfast determination in helping us with this undertaking. This year we continued our partnership, hosting five book celebration events nationwide where employees from Driscoll’s volunteered their time to engage with students in their own communities. Read on to hear from Marisa Christensen, Driscoll’s Associate Marketing Manager for Social and Environmental Impact, along with other Driscoll’s employees, who discuss their commitment to driving community engagement while helping RIF spread reading joy through books and berries. 

When I stepped into the cafeteria at Bradley Elementary School in Corralitos, just across from Driscoll’s nursery and in the backyard of our headquarters in Watsonville, CA, the energy was electric—and not just because it was Crazy Hair Day. Amid a sea of bright colors and wild hairstyles, stacks of books waited to be discovered. For many of these children, these aren’t just books; they are doorways to new worlds, new dreams, and new possibilities.

Since 2022, Driscoll’s has partnered with  RIF to spread the joy of reading in our local communities. We chose to continue this partnership because, much like sharing berries, sharing stories brings joy and connection. Storytime is a treasured ritual for many young children, and we saw how important reading together became for families during the pandemic and its aftermath. That’s why Driscoll’s created A Sofia Special, a children’s book that focuses on sharing and resilience—values that define who we are.

This year, we hosted five book celebration events across California, Florida, and Washington, reaching 1,180 children and distributing nearly 3,900 books. After a bilingual read aloud in English and Spanish, the first language for some of these students, each child received three books for their home library, including A Sofia Special. For many, these books were the beginning of a book collection they will cherish for years to come. To make the experience even more special, students enjoyed literacy activities with Driscoll’s volunteers and a berry feast, just like Sofia does at the end of her story.

These celebrations bring to life Driscoll’s vision of “enriching the lives of everyone we touch” by spreading the joy of reading at schools impacted by our operations, whether they are located across from a Driscoll’s cooler or attended by children of our employees and independent growers. Reading is key to early childhood development, and we are committed to supporting the children and families in the communities where we live and work. For us, hosting an event in Corralitos—just steps from our Watsonville headquarters—was a powerful reminder of our deep roots in this community and the responsibility we embrace to help it thrive.

The real impact, though, was in the moments shared between our employee volunteers and students at the events.

  • Geremy Blandino, a production manager at our event in Santa Maria, CA, described moments when the joy of reading came to life: “It was inspiring to see the kids captivated by the stories read, as well as see the excitement when picking out books to take home to their families.”
  • For Katherine Comartin, our brand design manager who volunteered in Corralitos, CA, the experience struck a deeply personal chord: “Being a mother, I know it is so important to read to your kids,” she said. “Being given the ability to give new, wonderful stories to all children is an amazing opportunity.”
  • Paulina Veana, who leads community engagement in Oxnard, CA, reflected on the bigger picture: “This event helped inspire a love for reading and showed how Driscoll’s connects with the communities where we grow in an organic and meaningful way,” she shared. “It created a special bridge between our company and the local schools, encouraging both learning and belonging.”
  • Brenda Madrid, an agronomist at our event in Bow, WA, spoke about the need for events like these: “Many students at this elementary school come from middle to lower class households (many whose parents work in the fields). Events like this help out the community and encourage learning and education.”

Paulina also reminded us of something beautiful: “It’s amazing to see how some of our employees who once attended these same schools are now leading initiatives to give back. It creates a beautiful sense of connection, pride, and shared purpose across generations.” That sentiment captures the importance of Driscoll’s commitment to operate our business in harmony with the communities and environment that sustain us—a promise we call One Family, One Earth™.

As a Driscoll’s employee, it’s a gift to go out into our communities and make a tangible impact on the lives touched by our business. We are excited to continue our partnership with RIF and spread the love of learning to schools in our vibrant communities. Because at Driscoll’s, we believe that small acts—like sharing a story or a bowl of berries—can create big ripples.
 

Author Bio:
Marisa Christensen is Associate Marketing Manager for Social and Environmental Impact at Driscoll’s. She leads marketing initiatives that strengthen community engagement and sustainability across Driscoll’s growing regions, including the partnership with Reading Is Fundamental.