
Reading Is Everywhere
A community-wide effort to support literacy
School-age children spend 80% of their waking hours outside of school, but 61% of families in under-resourced neighborhoods have no books for the children in their homes. Lead to Read KC is working to improve those numbers by distributing books through multiple channels.
During the 2023-2024 school year alone, we distributed 34,661 new and like-new children’s books, but it’s about more than just the numbers. We curate our offerings to ensure the best possible selection is available for each child, no matter where they connect with us. Learn more about our work and how you can help below.
Community Distribution
Lead to Read KC strategically places baskets of books in places where children are often waiting to encourage reading outside of school. Children can select a free book to take home, and Lead to Read KC replenishes the baskets with new titles each month.
Below is a map and list of all our publicly accessible basket locations, including dozens of social service agencies, salons/barbershops, restaurants and more. (Updated January 2025)
AIMWell Yoga
Avenue of Life
Amethyst Place
The Borough
Café Corazón
Capital One Cafe
Children's Mercy Broadway Family Engagement Clinic
Colonial Presbyterian Church Food Pantry
The Children's Place
Draque's Barbershop
Early StART Preschool (St. Mark's)
Dedicated Senior Medical Center
Early StART Preschool (Metro)
FavTrip, Grandview
Equal Minded Cafe
FavTrip, Independence
FavTrip, Redbridge
Foreign Language Academy
FavTrip KCMO
Grace United Church Food Pantry
Forest Glen Estates
Gumby's Barbershop
Holmes Gardens Association
KCPD Central Patrol Station
KCPD East Patrol Station
KCPD North Patrol Station
KCPD Metro Patrol Station
KCPD Shoal Creek Patrol Station
KCPD South Patrol Station
Latinx Education Collaborative
Joe's Barbershop
Metropolitan Missionary Baptist Church Drive-thru Food Pantry
Maple Hill Laundry
KCMO Health Department
Midtown Laundry
MO Hives KC
McLain's Bakery, Waldo
McLain's Market, Shawnee
Mimi's Pantry
Mt. Carmel Redevelopment Corp. Willa Gill Center
Mimi's 4 Kids
Mt. Carmel Redevelopment Corp. Food Pantry
One City Cafe at Bishop Sullivan Center
PH Coffee
ReStart
Samuel U. Rodgers Health Center
Thelma's Kitchen
Ruby Jean's Juicery
Reconciliation Services
River of Refuge
Surr Cutts Barber Shop
Second Missionary Baptist Church
Sheffield Place
The Salvation Army East Side
Seton Center
St. Monica Catholic Church Food Pantry
Torn Label Brewing Company
Terrace Pointe Apartments
University Health Futures Clinic
Swope Health (Central)
The Windmill KC
Wyandotte Family EyeCare Center
Yogurtini on the Plaza
Yogurtini, OP
Yogurtini, Shoal Creek
Your Natural Image Salon
You Say Tomato
AIMWell Yoga
5506 Troost, KCMO 64110
Amethyst Place
2735a Troost Ave, KCMO 64109
Avenue of Life
500 N 7th Trafficway, KCK 66101
Bishop Sullivan Center
3936 Troost Ave, KCMO 64110
The Borough
8026 The Paseo, KCMO 64131
Café Corazón
110 Southwest Blvd. KCMO 64108
Capital One Cafe
430 Nichols Rd, KCMO 64112
Children’s Mercy Broadway Family Engagement Clinic
3101 Broadway Blvd, KCMO 64111
The Children’s Place
6401 Rockhill Rd, KCMO 64131
Colonial Presbyterian Church Food Pantry
9500 Wornall Rd, KCMO 64114
Dedicated Senior Medical Center
4400 E 39th St, KCMO 64128
Draque’s Barbershop
106 W 39th St, KCMO 64111
Early StART Preschool (Metro)
827 Troost Ave, KCMO 64106
Early StART Preschool (St. Mark’s)
2008 E 12th St, KCMO 64127
Equal Minded Cafe
4327 Troost Ave, KCMO 64110
FavTrip
500 E. 10th St, KCMO
11107 Grandview Rd, KCMO
10507 E 23rd St, Independence
6501 Main, Grandview
Foreign Language Academy
3450 Warwick Blvd, KCMO 64111
Forest Glen Estates
511 N 64th St, KCK 66102
Grace United Church Food Pantry
811 Benton Blvd, KCMO 64124
Gumby’s Barbershop
12 E 39th St, KCMO 64111
Holmes Gardens Association
649 Bannister Rd, KCMO 64131
Joe’s Barbershop
1672 E 63rd St, KCMO 64110
KCMO Health Department
2400 Troost Ave, KCMO 64108
KCPD Central Patrol Station
1200 E Linwood, KCMO 64109
KCPD East Patrol Station
2640 Prospect Ave, KCMO 64127
KCPD Metro Patrol Station
7601 Prospect Ave, KCMO 64132
KCPD North Patrol Station
11000 NW Prairie View Rd, KCMO 64153
KCPD Shoal Creek Patrol Station
6801 NE Pleasant Valley Rd, KCMO 64157
KCPD South Patrol Station
9701 Marion Park Dr, KCMO 64137
Latinx Education Collaborative
2203 Lexington Ave, KCMO 64124
Maple Hill Laundry
2424 S 34th St, KCK 66106
Metropolitan Missionary Baptist Church, Drive-thru Food Pantry, 2310 Linwood Blvd, KCMO 64109
McLain’s in Shawnee
5833 Nieman Road, Shawnee 66203
McLain’s in Waldo
201 E Gregory Blvd, KCMO 64114
Midtown Laundry
6398 Troost Ave, KCMO 64131
Mimi’s Pantry
2255 NW Vivion Rd, KCMO 64150
Mimi’s 4 Kids
3715 N Oak Trafficway, KCMO 64116
MO Hives KC
5030 Wabash Ave, KCMO 64130
Mt. Carmel Redevelopment Corporation Food Pantry
1130 Troup Ave, KCK 66104
Mt. Carmel Redevelopment Corporation Willa Gill Center
645 Nebraska Ave, KCK 66101
One City Cafe
3936 Troost Ave, KCMO 64110
PH Coffee
2200 Lexington Ave, KCMO 64124
Reconciliation Services
1006 Linwood Blvd, KCMO 64109
ReStart
918 E 9th St, KCMO 64106
River of Refuge
5155 Raytown Rd, KCMO 64133
Ruby Jean’s Juicery
3000 Troost Ave, KCMO 64109
The Salvation Army East Side
3013 E 9th St, KCMO 64124
Samuel U. Rodgers Health Center
825 Euclid Ave, KCMO 64124
Second Missionary Baptist Church
5111 Harry Truman Dr, KCMO 64030
Seton Center
2816 E 23rd St, KCMO 64127
Sheffield Place
6604 E 12th St, KCMO 64126
St. Monica Catholic Church Food Pantry
1400 E 17th St, KCMO 64106
Surr Cutts Barber Shop
6015 Swope Pkwy, KCMO 64130
Swope Health (Central)
3801 Blue Pkwy, KCMO 64130
Terrace Pointe Apartments
641 S 71st St, KCK 66111
Thelma’s Kitchen
1006 Linwood Blvd, KCMO 64109
Torn Label Public House
1708 Campbell St, KCMO 64108
University Health Futures Clinic
300 W 19th Terrace, KCMO 64108
The Windmill KC
840 S 55th St, KCK 66106
Wyandotte Family EyeCare Center
21 N 12th St Suite 102, KCK 66102
Yogurtini
4853 Main St, KCMO 64112
8375 N Booth Ave, KCMO 64158
8941 W. 135th St, OPKS 66221
You Say Tomato
2801 Holmes St, KCMO 64109
Your Natural Image Salon
641 E 59th St, KCMO 64110
“It’s hard to convey what a blessing the books are to the children who come to One City Cafe. They don’t have much materially, and it brings amazing smiles to their faces when they choose a book to keep!”
School Gifting
Lead to Read KC also leverages its partnerships with schools to gift books:
- Reading Mentors select titles from our collection twice a year to give to their students.
- Our Outreach Team brings a selection of free books (and games!) to school literacy nights.
- We partner with the 15 and Mahomies foundation to provide books to all the students participating in Read for 15. (Watch the video to share the joy!)
- Reading For Life author visits include free copies of the book for each student.
- We add new, high-engagement books such as graphic novels to classroom libraries.
Direct Outreach
In addition to our robust community and school distribution programs, Lead to Read KC also provides books year-round through community events, including literacy fairs and neighborhood festivals.
Ways to Help
Contact Outreach Program Manager Linda Hughes at linda@leadtoreadkc.org for more information.
SHOP
Shop from a curated list via our Amazon Wish List or purchase from a local retailer.
COLLECT
Hold a book drive at your school or office to collect new and like-new children’s books.
SORT
Help process book donations at one of our Second Saturday Sorting events.
ORGANIZE
Schedule a one-time team volunteer event to help sort, process and deliver books.
Get Involved
We need you! There are so many ways to be part of the solution to our community’s literacy crisis. Choose to give your time or resources to Lead to Read KC.