Close-up photo of a book being read by a woman and young girl

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!”

JACKIE O'BRIEN

One City Cafe at Bishop Sullivan Center

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.

Happy mother with two toddlers and free books for each

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.