It all started when…

In 2010, I read about a man named Luis Soriano who rode a donkey throughout the rural communities around La Gloria, Colombia.  He loaded books on the backs of his donkeys, Alpha and Beta, and took those books to the children in his community.  His devotion to children and his passion for literacy humbled and inspired me.  I was currently in the role of District Literacy Trainer in Dalton Public Schools and had been thinking about how to keep our children reading throughout the summer months.  I remember thinking, “If Luis can ride a donkey through the jungles of Colombia, I can drive around my community and give out books.  That summer, I began Big Red READS, a mobile library that provides children with books and educational materials.

With the help of volunteers and donors, Big Red READS visits neighborhoods during the summer months.  Students check out bags of leveled books to practice their reading skills and they choose books to keep for their home libraries. Over the years, the program has grown and been very successful. To date, Big Red READS has given away 17,993 books and checked out 5,256 bags of leveled readers.

In 2017, I wanted to find a way to say “Thank you” to Luis for his work and his inspiration.  We connected through social media and email and I discovered that Luis was in need of a prosthetic device due to an accident he had while riding his donkey.  With the help of a local doctor and the Jordan Thomas Foundation, Luis was able to travel to Dalton, GA and receive the medical care he needed.

While in Dalton, Luis visited many schools and community organizations.  A lasting friendship was formed. I then decided to create a nonprofit organization that could help support the Biblioburro Library, Big Red READS, and other individuals that might have a calling to provide book access and increase literacy achievement in their community.

Books for Change USA was formed in December of 2017.  The goal of this organization is to educate and inform people about the importance of book access and literacy for all.  We will also work to support teachers in acquiring books that reflect and represent the diversity in our classroom.  Books for Change USA believes in the power of one book and one person.