Vending Machine Dispenses Books – Not Snacks – At Freehold School

Inchy the Bookworm vending machine debuts for students hungry to read at the Park Avenue Elementary School in Freehold.

By: Pat McDaniel, Patch Staff
Posted Thu, Sep 29, 2022 at 2:28 pm ET | Updated Thu, Sep 29, 2022 at 5:03 pm ET

FREEHOLD, NJ — A surprise gift was unveiled this week to students at Park Avenue Elementary School: a vending machine that dispenses food for the mind.

The Freehold Borough Educational Foundation donated the Inchy the Bookworm book vending machine to the school at 280 Park Ave., which serves students in third, fourth and fifth grades.

The assembly Wednesday announcing the shiny new machine’s presence drew squeals of excitement from the students and big smiles from the grownups in attendance, including area government representatives and school officials.

“It was like the Beatles walked in!” Principal Patrick Mulhern said about arrival of Inchy.

Inchy was purchased to reward positive student behavior, according to Jean Holtz of the educational foundation.

And Mulhern said it was heart-warming to see the excited responses of the students.

“Earning a book for good behavior just encapsulates everything we want to do here,” he said.

The school emphasizes the importance of being literate, but also the importance of kindness, he added.

“It’s all about books and caring and kindness,” Holtz agreed. The school already has a merit system in place for kindness and other good behaviors. Now a book can be a reward too – and support the school’s literacy goals.

Lynn Reich, vice chairperson of the foundation, saw a news video about the vending machine when it was installed in another district and posed the idea for the foundation.

“We had money left in the budget. It was too good not to do,” said Holtz.

The vending machine cost $5,000 complete with books chosen by the school librarian.

The books will be replenished as needed, Holtz said, and she said she has already received support from local state representatives.

State Sen. Vin Gopal gave what she called a generous donation to the program from the Vin Gopal Civic Association, and Assemblywomen Kim Eulner and Marilyn Piperno, the other District 11 representatives, have discussed a way to help donate more books as they are needed. All three representatives were at the school assembly.

“So it becomes about more partnerships,” Holtz said.

And Mulhern said the new vending machine will be stocked with interesting, relevant books – for boys and girls, for various age groups and for Spanish-speaking students. And he said he will work on plans for the entire program, including sources of funding.

Meanwhile, three students – one from each grade at the school – were chosen by the school counselor to be the first to put in a coin for the books. And the school will set up guidelines for the program as it continues, Holtz said.

It works like this: Once a student receives merits for good citizenship (as witnessed by their teachers, students, and/or administrators), they are awarded a “gold” coin.

They can then go to the vending machine and select a book from about two dozen different publications as recognition of their exemplary behavior.

In addition to the students, attendees and program participants included Freehold Borough Mayor Kevin Kane, Board of Education President Paul Jensen and Superintendent Dr. Joseph Howe.

Howe said it was an “incredible donation,” and he said it was “only fitting that it came from the Educational Foundation,” which has helped the district in its character education curriculum.

The Freehold Borough Educational Foundation is an all-volunteer nonprofit organization whose mission is to plant seeds of educational excellence by supporting creative teaching efforts, innovative student development activities, and enhanced community/school partnerships.

The foundation’s sole purpose is to promote and provide educational opportunities for the Freehold Borough School District by raising funds to underwrite innovative programs and projects.