Three freight trucks with 106,000 children’s books arrived in San Diego on July 1, 2020 for the San Diego Council on Literacy’s (SDCOL) The Great San Diego Book Giveaway / La Gran Entrega de Libros de San Diego, a multi-agency effort to get books into the hands of San Diego kids this summer. The Molina Foundation’s generous donation of $1 million worth of books to SDCOL is making this possible.
“COVID19 has highlighted deep inequities in distance learning for kids across San Diego County, many of whom have no access to the internet or computers and have no books at home. This multi-agency collaboration is about delivering books into the hands of children in San Diego who need them at this time. Together, we are making a difference,” says Jose Cruz, CEO of the San Diego Council on Literacy.
The sheer physical size of this donation is staggering. Three trucks, each carrying 24 pallets, each with 1,500 books per pallet equaling 35,000+ books per truck, for a total of 106,000 books will arrive Wednesday morning from Tennessee and be distributed in communities across San Diego in the coming weeks.
The Arc of San Diego is providing donated warehouse space to accommodate the first 24 pallets of books. This donated space will act as a staging area for the books as they are sent out to San Diego Council on Literacy affiliated agencies and other partners across San Diego for distribution over the coming weeks. President and CEO Anthony DeSalis expressed “The Arc of San Diego is proud to partner on The Great San Diego Book Giveaway. This is an important endeavor; especially at a time like this when traditional means of access to literature is limited.”
Once The Arc signed up, the San Diego Council on Literacy then reached out to school districts across San Diego to coordinate additional truck deliveries. Two school districts wasted no time in saying “YES” to this opportunity; San Diego Unified School District and Chula Vista Elementary School District.
Below is a list of the San Diego Council on Literacy affiliated agencies and partners that will be receiving one-to two pallets per agency to distribute in their communities this summer through The Great San Diego Book Giveaway / La Gran Entrega de Libros de San Diego. These agencies represent those that are receiving books from the first of three trucks. Give-away points range from food distribution programs, to libraries, to city-organized giveaways. Through this donation, many more San Diego children will have access to free books to begin or add to their own home library.
ARC of San Diego
BASIC
Camp Pendleton
Community Housing Works
Education Begins in the Home
Escondido Public Library
Grossmont Adult Basic Education
Jewish Family Services
Kiwanis of Carlsbad
KPBS
National City Public Library
City of National City
Oceanside Promise
Palomar College
Reach Out and Read
San Diego Oasis
San Diego Public Library
Southwestern College
Wildflower Initiative
Words Alive
If you are interested in learning more about The Great San Diego Book Giveaway contact the San Diego Council on Literacy at: