Be kind, donate to help purchase 38,000 children’s books

The nonprofit Reading Is Fundamental of Southern California, or RIFSoCal, is seeking donations as part of an effort to purchase 38,000 books for children throughout Orange County.

From now through Jan. 31, the nonprofit is accepting cash donations to purchase the books. Each book it distributes in Orange County will count as an Act of Kindness to support OCDE’s One Billion Acts of Kindness initiative.

students in a classroom each hold up donated books

So far this current school year, RIFSoCal’s reading program has reached 12,186 pre-K through eighth-grade children. The goal for the entire program throughout greater Los Angeles and OC is to distribute 214,000 new books to 69,000 children at 252 preschools, Head Start sites, elementary schools, middle schools and community service programs.

RIFSoCal’s mission is to promote literacy and motivate children to read by providing new books to create home libraries for underserved children in Southern California. RIFSoCal also partners with the Orange County Department of Education on the Motivational Reading Program, which serves more than 15,000 children at 59 sites with family literacy events and books.

To donate to the reading program, got to www.rifsocal.org/individual-giving.