Reading Is Everywhere
A community-wide effort to support literacy through book access
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. As a member of the National Book Access Association, we believe everyone should have free access to own, share, read, and enjoy books, so we’re working to improve those numbers by distributing books through multiple channels.
During the 2025-2026 school year alone, we distributed 56,625 new and like-new children’s books — that’s more than 4,500 each month! — 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.
Thank you to everyone who helps collect, process and distribute books throughout the year, especially those who host annual book drives! Learn more about our work and how you can help address our local book deserts below.
Program Evaluation
Through its Reading Is Everywhere program, 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 dedicated outreach volunteers replenish the baskets with new titles each month.
A recent program evaluation by Michelle Hartman of Rockhurst University surveyed Reading Is Everywhere basket visitors and found strong evidence the program is working:
Basket locations across the metro
%
Say books help their family read more often
%
Say their children enjoy the books
%
Visit a basket at least once a month
Basket Locations
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 June 2026)
AIMWell Yoga
Amethyst Place
Avenue of Life
The Borough
Café Corazón
Capital One Cafe
CenterWell Senior Primary Care
Children's Mercy Broadway Family Engagement Clinic
The Children's Place
Colonial Presbyterian Church Food Pantry
Diamond Cuts West
Early StART Preschool (Metro)
Early StART Preschool (St. Mark's)
Equal Minded Cafe
FavTrip, Grandview
FavTrip, Independence
FavTrip KCMO
FavTrip, Redbridge
Fifth & Emery - Lenexa
Fifth & Emery - Overland Park
Fifth & Emery - Plaza
Fifth & Emery - Shoal Creek
Fifth & Emery - Zona Rosa
Foreign Language Academy
Forest Glen Estates
Grace United Community Ministries
Holmes Gardens Association
Immigration Court
JFS Food Pantry - Kansas City
JFS Food Pantry - Leawood
Joe's Barbershop
Kansas City Community Gardens
KC Cares Clinic - Midtown South
KC Cares Clinic - Midtown North
KC Cares Clinic - Northeast
KC Cares Clinic - Research Medical Campus
KCMO Health Department
KCPD Central Patrol Station
KCPD East Patrol Station
KCPD Metro Patrol Station
KCPD North Patrol Station
KCPD South Patrol Station
KCPD Shoal Creek Patrol Station
Latinx Education Collaborative
The Little Ladybug Library
Maple Hill Laundry
McLain's Bakery, Waldo
Metropolitan Missionary Baptist Church Drive-thru Food Pantry
Midtown Laundry
Mimi's 4 Kids
Mimi's Pantry
MO Hives KC
Mt. Carmel Redevelopment Corp. Food Pantry
Mt. Carmel Redevelopment Corp. Willa Gill Center
Mt. Sinai Missionary Baptist Church
Nourish KC Community Kitchen
One City Cafe at Bishop Sullivan Center
PH Coffee
Reconciliation Services
ReStart
River of Refuge
Ruby Jean's Juicery
Samuel U. Rodgers Health Center
The Salvation Army East Side
Seton Center
Sheffield Place
St. Monica Catholic Church Food Pantry
Surr Cutts Barber Shop
Swope Health (Central)
Terrace Pointe Apartments
Thelma's Kitchen
Torn Label Public House
University Health Futures Clinic
The Windmill KC
You Say Tomato
Your Natural Image Salon
Wyandotte County Public Defender Office
Wyandotte Family EyeCare Center
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
CenterWell Senior Primary Care
4400 E 39th St, KCMO 64128
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
Diamond Cuts West
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
Fifth & Emery
4853 Main St, KCMO 64112
8375 N Booth Ave, KCMO 64158
8671 NW Prairie View Rd, KCMO, 64153
8941 W 135th St, Overland Park, KS 66221
12970 W 87th St, Lenexa, KS 66215
Foreign Language Academy
3450 Warwick Blvd, KCMO 64111
Forest Glen Estates
511 N 64th St, KCK 66102
Grace United Community Ministries
811 Benton Blvd, KCMO 64124
Holmes Gardens Association
649 Bannister Rd, KCMO 64131
Immigration Court
2345 Grand Blvd, Suite 525 KCMO 64108
JFS Food Pantry
425 E. 63rd St, KCMO 64110
5801 W. 115th, Leawood, KS 66201
Joe’s Barbershop
1672 E 63rd St, KCMO 64110
Kansas City Community Gardens
6917 Kensington Ave, KCMO 64132
KC CARE Health Center – Midtown North
3501 & 3507 Broadway, KCMO 64111
KC CARE Health Center – Midtown South
3515 Broadway, KCMO 64111
KC CARE Health Center – Northeast
4601 Independence Ave, KCMO 64124
KC CARE Health Center – Research Medical Campus
2340 E Meyer, KCMO 64132
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
The Little Ladybug Library
2108 NE Concord St, Lee’s Summit, MO 64086
Maple Hill Laundry
2424 S 34th St, KCK 66106
McLain’s in Waldo
201 E Gregory Blvd, KCMO 64114
Metropolitan Missionary Baptist Church, Drive-thru Food Pantry, 2310 Linwood Blvd, KCMO 64109
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
Mt. Sinai Missionary Baptist Church
3634 Brooklyn KCMO 64109
Nourish KC Community Kitchen
750 Paseo Blvd, KCMO 64106
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
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 County Public Defender Office
550 State Ave, KCK, 66101
Wyandotte Family EyeCare Center
21 N 12th St Suite 102, KCK 66102
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 [email protected] for more information.
SHOP
Buy books from one of our curated wish lists or use as a guide at your preferred retailer.
COLLECT
Hold a book drive at your school or office to collect new and like-new children’s books.
SORT
Help process donations by sorting, packing, or delivering books.
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.