Our Vision is a World

Reading is one of the most important skills a child can have. Along with being a fun pastime that fosters creativity and imagination, reading is directly related to academic success. Studies have shown that students who start reading young are more likely to achieve success later in life. This success comes from a chain reaction of small and large benefits, all leading back to reading. Reading more books helps students better understand the information presented to them in class, expand their vocabulary, improve their writing skills, and sharpen their critical thinking. 

However, many kids have their futures hindered by lack of access to books. In the US, 2.5 million children are enrolled in districts where there are no libraries.  13 million children are enrolled in districts where the children's materials circulation is less than 10 per student, including 3.4 million students in poverty and 6.6 million students of color. 

Not only does this have a large detrimental effect on these kids' academic futures, it also perpetuates racial and socio-economic disparity. Families with incomes of $100,000 or more have nearly twice the amount of books than families with less than $35,000 in annual income (125 vs. 73), and Hispanic and Black children have fewer books in their homes than white, multi-racial,  Asian or children of other racial backgrounds. 

FRead is an organization that aims to tackle this problem. We set up bookshelves in the waiting rooms of doctor and dentist offices, filled with books that we have received through donations. These books are completely free for the kids to take home. Through this, the kids can increase the number of books they have in their house without the parents having to spend a single dollar, or a single second, getting more books.