Photo by Joe Imel/Daily News Giuliana D’Adamio, 14, collected almost 400 used books and more than 100 magazines to donate to Barren River Area Safe Space, a domestic violence shelter. Giuliana, her mother, Lori (back, right), her brother, Joey, 7, and Lee Alcott (center), BRASS executive director, help with the donated items.

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Giuliana D’Adamio, a 14-year-old freshman at Greenwood High School, loves to read more than anything. She is also very aware of the needs of those around her, particularly those less fortunate.

Those character assets resulted Thursday in a donation of some 400 books to the Barren River Area Safe Space domestic violence shelter.

Motivating her fellow students to donate the books along with some 100 magazines and a book case, D’Adamio made the donation as part of her participation in the Congressional Awards Program, established by the U.S. Congress with the goal of challenging young people in the areas of public service, personal development, physical fitness and expedition/exploration.

Participants earn bronze, silver and gold certificates and medals based on hours served and projects they have completed. A gold medal can take as long as 10 years to earn. D’Adamio’s project will count toward her silver certificate in public service.

“We are so very proud of her,” said Lori D’Adamio, her mother. “Giuliana is an outstanding young lady.”

She is also a bit shy, so the program has been a great way to build self-confidence for her daughter as well as character and awareness of the needs of others, she added.

Intelligent and soft-spoken, Giuliana loves books so much that she often reads three at once, and reads while riding in the car across town, said Lori D’Adamio, who was doing volunteer work at the shelter when the two realized the need for books. The donation included books for children as well as teens and adults.

Reading, Giuliana said, has helped her become a good listener as well as a good student. Distinctive and personally challenging projects will play an important role in helping her get into the colleges of her choice - schools like Wake Forest University that stress humanitarian work - but that’s not the reason she is so focused on the work.

“I wanted to do something good to help other people if I can,” she said. “I love to read so I thought this would be a nice way to help others.”

Originally from Albany, N.Y., the D’Adamios relocated to Bowling Green a little over 31/2 years ago from Texas. Giuliana is also a member of the Greenwood swim team and plays the bass clarinet in the marching band.

“Anytime a person reaches out to others is significant demonstration of their concern for them,” said BRASS Executive Director Lee Alcott. “Giuliana’s project is an amazing example of her concern for those less fortunate, in this case women and children who have had to leave their homes because of a violent situation and find themselves living in a women’s shelter.”

Alcott said BRASS typically houses from 10 to 20 children at any given time. Literacy and education are stressed along with support groups designed to inspire the children and help them understand that the violence they have experienced is not the norm, Alcott said.

Giuliana said she wants to do more book drives for other organizations and charities as part of her Congressional Program work.