Our initial idea was to aid in food service, but had to change due to costly expenditures, limited shelf life, and legal challenges that our members couldn’t navigate. Ultimately, we decided to create a new organization that combatted an issue that was also held deeply in us all. So, this summer we decided to create the Youth Literacy Service Initiative.

From asking our neighborhoods for support and donations to partnering with local libraries, book banks, and community centers the Youth Literacy Service Initiative received resources to organize their first distribution event at a Cleveland community center.

Now, we work to create an environment where every reader and speaker can have a shared learning opportunity. Whether it’s how stories show us how to become imaginative thinkers, expand our own language development, or comprehend the meaning behind text are all milestones that the Youth Literacy Service Initiative visualizes.