On September 25th, 2014, Rx for Reading Detroit was born! 

Our mission from the beginning has been a simple one:

• Expand access to high-quality children’s books for kids in our community.
• Support low-income families in reading with their children.
• Collaborate with diverse community partners in Detroit and the surrounding area.

Our initial goal was to collect and distribute 1,000 children’s books. Three years later, we have had the great privilege of giving over 80,000 books to kids and families in Detroit, Hamtramck, Highland Park, Dearborn, and Ypsilanti.

How have we done it?

Thousands of growing kids and teens have given their books to be shared with younger children.

Scores of schools, businesses, and community organizations have run book drives to help collect books.

20,000 brand new books have been purchased with generous financial support from over 100 individual donors as well as grants from Impact Detroit, Ford Community Corps, Kohl’s Cares, University of Detroit Mercy Mission Micro-Grant Program, and University of Detroit Mercy Women’s and Gender Studies Program.

Over 100 Detroit Mercy undergraduates and graduate students have done the “heavy lifting” of day-to-day operations.

Our belief is that literacy is social justice.

Our vision is to help eliminate the opportunity gap by ensuring universal access to age-appropriate reading material.

Our commitment is to raising the next generation of readers and leaders in our community.

To help celebrate our 3rd birthday, read to a child in your life, or give a donation to help support reading in the lives of all children!