Library Boxes of Trenton New Jersey is an ingenious idea by Jacque Howard that upcycles news boxes into neighborhood libraries. We want to see that idea spread to every community coast to coast.
Many years ago, Lorraine Smith, who was directing the Catholic Charities food pantry in downtown Trenton, welcomed our magazines for families receiving groceries. That’s turned into a long-time partnership that recently delivered a barrel of Highlights for Children magazines to school children in Jamaica. This year, the International Literacy Association has selected Jamaica as their focus for the upcoming United Nation’s celebration of International Literacy Day on Sept 8, which is also the birthday of MagazineLiteracy.org.
We’ve long believed that we should feed reading materials to kids and families via the same channels that bring hunger relief, an idea moved forward with the Community FoodBank of New Jersey, the Milwaukee Hunger Task Force, and foodbanks and food pantries in many other states, with early leadership by Katie Simmons, Greg Barber, Vanika Mock, and so many others, and, thanks to Team Duffy, who not only airlifted 2,000 magazines to the Inuit north of the Arctic Circle, but have set up a literacy newsstand at their own food pantry near Toronto. We are now manufacturing and placing our first 100 Literacy Newsstands thanks to a generous gift from the Widen company in Madison, WI. 
Reading is where it all begins. iMAGine what’s possible and make it so.
Getting reading materials down the last mile into hands, homes, and hearts
