MagLiteracy Board Chair Jocelyn Green directs volunteers in organizing magazines to send to partner organizations for distribution to readers.
MagLiteracy, a national literacy nonprofit that operates magazine literacy banks similar to food banks, has launched a major regional literacy initiative to distribute more than 250,000 free educational and enrichment magazines to readers through organizations and community agencies throughout Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee and West Virginia.
The initiative comes at a critical time as communities are working to ensure children and families continue to have access to reading materials during the months when classroom libraries and school resources are less available while schools are closed for summer.
“We are looking for regional literacy partners that can help us move educational magazines into the hands of readers where they can have the greatest impact,” said John Mennell, founder of MagLiteracy. “Distributed through schools, food banks, summer feeding programs, libraries, youth organizations, job training programs, literacy organizations or community agencies, these materials can help spark curiosity, strengthen reading habits and connect people with subjects they care about.”
The campaign is focused on serving communities in Memphis and Nashville in Tennessee; Lexington, Ky.; Charleston and communities throughout West Virginia; Columbus, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Dayton and Toledo in Ohio; Fort Wayne, Ind.; Detroit and Flint, Mich.; and surrounding regions.
Available materials include hundreds of thousands of educational magazines covering science, geography, history, technology, creativity, design, current events and personal storytelling. Featured titles, donated by publishers, include Highlights for Children, National Geographic, Communication Arts, Make: and The Sun.
Magazines offer unique literacy advantages. Their highly visual format, approachable reading length, and wide range of topics help engage reluctant readers while encouraging exploration, curiosity and lifelong learning.
MagLiteracy is particularly interested in connecting with partners able to receive pallet-size deliveries for distribution or pick-up at their facilities:
- School districts and individual schools
- Public libraries and library systems
- Food banks and food pantries
- Summer feeding and reading programs
- Boys & Girls Clubs and youth-serving organizations
- Community action agencies
- Family resource centers
- Literacy coalitions
- Workforce development and job training programs
- Adult education and English as a Second Language programs
- Foster care and mentoring organizations
- Regional councils and community development agencies
Organizations capable of receiving pallet-sized deliveries can help distribute materials throughout their service areas, extending the reach of the program to thousands of readers.
The magazines are donated publisher inventory and consumer-contributed collections rich in educational, cultural, historical and recreational value. Materials are available at no cost to qualifying organizations.
As the nation’s only magazine-focused literacy logistics organization, MagLiteracy works with publishers, recyclers, volunteers, libraries and community partners to rescue quality reading materials and place them where they can create the greatest literacy impact.
Get more details and request materials from MagLiteracy.
ABOUT MAGLITERACY
MagLiteracy.org is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that operates magazine literacy banks that collect, sort and distribute magazines and comics to schools, food banks, libraries, shelters, hospitals, literacy programs, job training organizations and other community partners. Through its growing network of literacy distribution partners, MagLiteracy helps connect readers of all ages with engaging reading materials that inspire curiosity, learning and lifelong reading habits.
DELIVERY SUPPORT AND PUBLISHING PARTNERS
Delivery support for this special literacy initiative is being generously provided by Millcraft, one of the nation’s largest independently owned distributors of paper, packaging, graphic arts and industrial solutions. Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, the company serves customers throughout the Midwest and beyond while maintaining a strong commitment to community engagement, education, sustainability and the industries that depend on print and paper-based communications. Millcraft has been a longstanding supporter of literacy and education initiatives and is helping ensure that these educational magazines reach schools, libraries, food banks, summer reading programs and community organizations throughout the region.
“Generous logistics support from Millcraft is helping connect large quantities of donated educational magazines with the literacy programs best positioned to place them directly into the hands of children, families and readers who need them most,” said Mennell. “This support is a gamechanger for our ability to reach the highest need regions from a company known for giving back to the communities it serves.”
This distribution effort also is made possible through the generosity of leading publishers and magazine partners, including Highlights for Children, National Geographic, Communication Arts, The Sun Magazine and Make: Magazine, who are donating high-quality educational, cultural, scientific, creative and literary publications to support literacy.
The summer literacy push is also being powered by three Denison University interns – Emily, Mari, and Maddie, who are helping MagLiteracy identify and reach schools, libraries, food banks, summer reading programs and community organizations across the region. Their outreach work, combined with generous logistics support from Millcraft, is helping connect large quantities of donated educational magazines with the literacy programs best positioned to place them directly into the hands of children, families and readers who need them most.
MEDIA CONTACTS
John Mennell, Founder, MagLiteracy
jem@magliteracy.org
Joan Slattery Wall, communications, MagLiteracy
joan.wall@magliteracy.org