Giving Back
Giving Back in Our Communities
At Barefoot, we are committed to living out the kindness and compassion we celebrate in our books. All across the world, our community of parents, educators, librarians, booksellers, storytellers and artists are making a difference in their own communities, in their own ways.
Diverse Books for All Coalition
From over 40 submissions across the US, we are one of four publishers selected to partner with the Diverse Books for All Coalition, a national consortium of nonprofits and membership organizations working together to increase access to affordable, high-quality children’s books by and about diverse races, cultures, identities, and abilities. Through its Commitment to Action, the Coalition will aggregate its collective market power to purchase and distribute 600,000 diverse books over the next 18 months. Read the press release here.
Reach Out and Read of Greater New York
We were able to assist in the equitable distribution of books to those who need it most made providing 320,000 Barefoot Books to their Book Buddies initiative. Through this initiative, RoR partners with other regional literacy organizations to obtain excellent, new, DEI-relevant titles for program recipients. Many of the books include text in English and Spanish, and increase access by offering audio and visual components for additional learning formats. Read the press release here.
Heart of America
"Over the last year, we have had the privilege of supporting more than 70,000 students with thousands of new, high-quality, culturally relevant books, technology, and transformed spaces. This work would not be possible without the services your team has provided in recent years." -- Allie Plihal, Director, Resource Distribution & Logistics, The Heart of America Foundation®
In August of 2021, we supplied 1000 hardcover books for DC-metro area kids, through the Washington Football Team and Heart of America Foundation for a back-to-school event.
Raising A Reader
Home literacy routines promote healthy brain development, family bonding and increased literacy skills — all proven elements for lifetime success! That’s why we have partnered with Raising A Reader, a national leader in early literacy and family engagement, to donate one book for every order placed on our website, now through . Help us put 25,000 books into children's hands! Learn more about the initiative here.
Books For Africa
Supporting literacy has always been a very important part of our mission at Barefoot Books. In 2019, it was our privilege and an to partner with Books For Africa and COVida to distribute 300,000 books into the hands of orphans and vulnerable children affected by AIDS in Mozambique. We are currently working on a new initiative to translate 70,000 of our books into French and Malagasy to distribute in Madagascar.
Photo credit FHI360 COVida
BookTrust
In January 2020, we partnered with BookTrust to bring 600,000 copies of Baby Play to every baby in England and Wales via the annual Bookstart Baby packs. Bookstart is the world’s first national bookgifting and has been supporting a love of reading and the development of a reading habit from an early age for over 25 years.
Building Impact Volunteer Initiatives
Barefoot Books partners with Building Impact to bring in-office and virtual volunteer opportunities to our team members. Volunteer sessions are always different and they help support the local community. A few we've recently been able to help out in:
- Winner of the 2021 Gold Impact Award to distinguish us among a network of over 500 companies for your relentless generosity and dedication to uplifting the community. This Award recognizes companies that have devoted over 25 volunteer hours to support local nonprofit organizations addressing critical social issue areas.
- Making Bare Necessities Bundles for students experiencing economic hardship during COVID-19 with the help of Catie's Closet.
- Assembling Valentine's Day Card Making Kits for children and adolescents cared for by Franciscan Children's mental health .
- Creating kits to help families prepare their children to enter kindergarten ready to succeed with the help of Countdown to Kindergarten.
Read to a Child
Several of Barefoot Books Home Office team members volunteer their time to Read to a Child. The pairs adult mentors with elementary school students for one-on-one read-aloud sessions during the students' lunchtime one day a week throughout the school year. This simple act of being read to by a mentor helps the students improves their literacy skills, build their self-confidence and foster enthusiasm towards reading. It's so rewarding to see firsthand the positive impact that children's books have!
Donations
We donate to the First Book National Book Bank in support of literacy organizations throughout the US.
