You did it! You helped us raise $17,363 for new books for children with incarcerated parents on Giving Tuesday! You made this our most successful Giving Tuesday ever! Thanks to our generous friends, Rick and Linda Roesch, who matched all donations up to $5,000. Hundreds of children will receive new books from their incarcerated parents with a special note inside, thanks to you.

Watch this video of our Children of Prison Inmates program:

Learn more about the Children of Prison Inmates program here.

While we can’t hold family events at our partnering prisons this holiday season, we’re still sending home new books for the holidays with special notes from parents, grandparents, and aunts and uncles inside.

Many of the children we serve have few or no books at home, so getting a hand-picked book from their incarcerated family member is critical to their literacy development and success in school. It also helps form and maintain a bond between parents/family members and children who can’t be together right now.

One participating inmate says, “My nephew looks forward to my books. After he reads the books he either writes to me to tell me about it or tells me on the phone. He also always asks me when I’m sending the next book. Being able to send books to him and his brothers has been very beneficial to staying connected with them. I was close to my nephews on the outside and being here is difficult for all of us. Being able to send them books has been a very positive way to have a close connection with my nephews. I am very grateful for this opportunity and hope it will continue. Thank you for all you do to provide us with this precious gift.”

Thank YOU for giving families the gift of togetherness while apart.