United Way works to ensure that families have the resources to help their children start school ready to learn and graduate prepared for success in life. We know that to ensure the future success of our region, we need to support our community’s children now.
Access to books is one of the strongest predictors of early literacy and future academic success. Children who grow up surrounded by books have stronger vocabularies, develop reading skills earlier, and perform better throughout their school years. Yet far too many families in our community lack access to age‑appropriate, engaging books at home.
To help increase access to reading materials in our community, United Way for Southeastern Michigan manages several Little Free Libraries across our region. These libraries are stocked with books that families and children can take and enjoy, helping foster an early love of reading. We also distribute books through community events and to our community partners throughout the region.
United Way is seeking corporate partners and groups to host a book drive for new books that will be distributed to the community. There is no strict timeline for the book drives - we will work with you to develop a timeline that works for your group and the needs of the community.
After registering, we will provide a list of recommended books (which includes diverse genres, topics, and reading levels). Spanish language and bilingual (Spanish/English) books are of particularly high need!
To host a book drive, click RESPOND or contact volunteer@UnitedWaySEM.org.
