North Carolina nonprofit receives major donation to support family learning
Book Harvest, a Durham-based nonprofit dedicated to family learning, has received a significant donation through a partnership between NCFL and Book Outlet. The contribution, made possible through Book Outlet’s Giving Tuesday promotion, will provide 11,387 youth and children’s books to North Carolina families, fostering literacy across the state.
Book Outlet, a leading bargain book retailer and division of Book Depot Inc., leveraged its Giving Tuesday initiative to give back to communities and enhance literacy outcomes by getting books into the hands of children and families. NCFL was proud to be part of this effort by helping to connect Book Outlet with a local NCFL partner, Book Harvest, that has the capacity to efficiently distribute the donated books to families who will benefit the most.
“At NCFL, we know that access to books in the home is a key predictor for early learning and literacy success, ” says Dr. Felicia C. Smith, president and CEO at NCFL. “I can think of no better way to celebrate National Reading Month than to partner to build home libraries, strengthen literacy skills, and encourage multigenerational learning for families across North Carolina.”
“We believe that every book has the power to transform a life,” says Wilf Wikkerink, CEO of Book Depot Inc. “This donation of over 11,000 books to Book Harvest represents our commitment to getting more books into more hands across communities. By supporting organizations dedicated to literacy and education, we’re not just distributing books—we’re distributing opportunities for discovery, learning, and growth. We’re proud to partner with NCFL and Book Harvest to help North Carolina families build home libraries that will foster a lifelong love of reading.”
“This partnership exemplifies the power of collaboration in addressing literacy needs in our communities,” says Ginger Young, founder and CEO of Book Harvest. “These books will help us continue our mission of ensuring every child has a home filled with books, empowering parents as their children’s first teachers, and creating communities that nurture a love of reading from the moment a child is born.”
NCFL works alongside Book Harvest and other organizations as part of the North Carolina Statewide Family Engagement Center (NC SFEC) and in service to NCFL’s vision to seed coordinated and aligned family learning systems in communities across the country. These family learning systems transcend isolated programming, enabling parents and children to learn and thrive together while creating stronger communities for generations to come.
Since 2011, Book Harvest has provided more than 2.4 million books to families, ensuring that parents have the tools and power to ignite and strengthen their children’s literacy. With programs that are grounded in evidence, Book Harvest believes that literacy starts at birth, in the home, powered by parents, and nourished with books. North Carolina families interested in learning how they can access free books through Book Harvest can visit bookharvest.org/get-books to learn more.