Special to the Journal
On Oct. 25, Amazon’s K-12 Education Advisor, Joe Munno, stopped Revere Public School’s (RPS) Central Office with a gift.
Munno, wheeling a pallet of Amazon delivery boxes filled with hundreds of books, was met at the front door by RPS’s Briana Tsoupas and Christina Porter.
Once the boxes were opened, both Tsoupas and Porter were beyond excited by the generous Amazon donation. All the books were brand new and in mint condition, and the two educators knew RPS’s middle school students would be excited by the gift.
In 2020, Amazon opened their 800,000-square-foot ‘delivery station’ at the former NECCO site on American Legion Highway.
RPS sat down with Munno to get some insight into this recent donation.
Revere Public Schools: How did Revere Public Schools get on Amazon’s radar? Who reached out from RPS for a possible donation?
Joe Munno: I work with school districts across New England, and an opportunity presented itself where Amazon Business was looking for a philanthropic event local to some of our facilities. Understanding that Revere is a Title 1 district and there was no relationship with Amazon Business at the time, I reached out to Dr. Dianne Kelly to gauge her interest. Thankfully, she was excited and open to the idea!
RPS: Is the donation to RPS part of a specific Amazon charitable giving program?
JM: No, this is not a particular program; we just look for opportunities to make a positive impact in the communities that we touch.
RPS: How many books did Amazon donate?
JM: We donated 228 books for grades 6–8, for a total of $2,500.
RPS: As a neighbor in Revere, why is it important for Amazon to support local schools and education in the City of Revere?
JM: Amazon believes in supporting the next generation of leaders that are coming through our school districts. With our presence in Eastern Massachusetts, it is critical that we play our part in helping students like the ones in Revere be set up for success in impacting their local communities.
RPS: How does It feel to be able to make a significant impact by providing educational tools, learning materials, supplies to RPS?
JM: Amazon Business is still in its early stages when it comes to the alignment and support we can provide public school districts holistically. My hope is that we can continue to look for ways to partner with RPS and positively influence students, faculty, and staff.
RPS: Is there anything else you would like to add?’
JM: Thank you so much for the opportunity!
