Deseret Book Company and Humanitarian Services of the Church announced Sept. 1 an initiative designed to open opportunities to youth worldwide, called "Chapters of Hope." The ongoing program is expected to raise funds to purchase and distribute globally tens of thousands of books to children, ages 6 to 18, who have little to no access to books.
"It is through books that dreams are ignited in the hearts and minds of children," said Sheri Dew, president and CEO of Deseret Book, in a press release. "Combining efforts with LDS Humanitarian Services and with the public who wish to participate in reaching out to these children, we will be giving books to youth that quite literally will change their lives."
Limited access to books often results in a limited view of the world, and an equally low literacy rate and resulting poverty. Chapters of Hope is designed to help break this cycle of poverty as well as expand the lives of these children through the pages of books, the release stated.
"I've met women and their children and families on nearly every continent. I've seen empty bookshelves in their homes and schools. I've seen how much they treasure owning even one book," Sister Dew said. "I also know from both observation and personal experience that books can literally change lives."
Chapters of Hope is an initiative to get new educational-type books into the hands of children who need them; it is not a used-book donation program. One hundred percent of all donated funds will go toward the purchase of such books. Deseret Book bears the cost of administering the program while LDS Humanitarian Services handles all book distribution.
Deseret Book will use the donated funds on an ongoing basis to buy selected books from national book publishers, such as Scholastic, Inc.; Paragon Press; Grolier Publishing; and Modern Publishing. LDS Humanitarian Services, understanding best the needs of the children to be served, has developed a list of books that will help children learn everything from values to important life skills, including early readers; instruction books on phonics, math, science and health; dictionaries; single-volume encyclopedias; and values-based novels. In leveraging existing relationships with national publishers, Deseret Book will be able to purchase selected book titles for as little as $1, some slightly higher.
"The gift of knowledge is a priceless, life-changing gift," said Rich McKenna, director of LDS Humanitarian Services. For nearly 140 years, Deseret Book has given to the communities in which it resides, and during the past decade alone, Deseret Book has given more than $10 million worth of books to elementary school libraries, largely in Utah. Chapters of Hope now extends the scope and reach of that influence globally.
"We believe in reading, because reading is the gateway to learning," Sister Dew said. "It is also very clear that many others share this belief. Although the program just launched, we have already received a few hundred donations, some quite significant."
Chapters of Hope plans to make its first shipment of books in spring 2005. Chapters of Hope donations are being accepted at Deseret Book locations, online at deseretbook.com/chaptersofhope, and via the company's toll-free number at 1-800-453-4532. Additional information about LDS Humanitarian Services can be found at humanitarianservices.org.
LDS Humanitarian Services, the humanitarian outreach program of the Church, assists millions of people in need around the world, offering hope and the potential for a life that transcends disease, poverty, and despair. From 1985 through 2003, Humanitarian Services provided more than $643 million in total assistance to needy individuals in 154 countries.
