We've donated over 1,000,000 children's books
123Read2Me currently provides children in low socioeconomic communities with FREE quality children’s books through recycled books or new ones purchased with cash donations. The total value of books donated to date exceeds $10,000,000.00 (replacement value).
How you can help
We are a small volunteer-led organisation and we need your support to reach more children.
1. Donate your children’s books. Go through your bookshelves and donate the books your children have finished with.
2. Volunteer to join the team. Collect, sort and/or deliver free children’s books. No experience necessary. Flexible hours. Meet new people.
3. Donate money to buy new books and help fund our operations. The more you give, the more Australian children we can reach.
Partner with us!
We have donated $10,000,000+ in children’s books with the wonderful support of individuals and organisations. But we recognise that we can only fund and do so much ourselves, so we are seeking partners to support us to create greater change to support more children.
We are based in Melbourne, Victoria, and serve low socioeconomic communities across Australia.
We provide books to support the work of over 120 organisations. Our reach is organically growing and we have recently included the La Trobe Valley, East Gippsland, Shepparton, Bendigo, Geelong, Mildura, Robinvale, Warrnambool areas PLUS Albury, Bathurst and Lismore in NSW and Hervey Bay, Maroochydore, Rockhampton and Townsville in Qld.
For us to expand our operations and have more impact in the communities we serve, we welcome organisations that share our vision and can provide financial and/or in-kind support.
Please contact Jeff or Melinda Shelley for more information about how you can help us provide quality books to children and educate families on the importance of reading.
Click on the button below to get in touch and see how your organisation can join the 123Read2Me team.
Lions Clubs International & other volunteers
We are well established now in the Frankston and Mornington Peninsula local government areas and, with volunteer manpower provided largely by local Lions Clubs.
123Read2Me is expanding across Victoria with the help of the Lions Clubs of Boroondara-Gardiners Creek, Healesville, Eildon, Alexandra, Beaumaris, Sandringham, Blackburn, Brighton, Eltham, Emerald, Moorabbin, Nunawading, Vermont, Cranbourne, McCrae, Rye, Mornington, Flinders & District, Koo Wee Rup and many other individual Lions Members and the general community.
We are also now reaching out across Victoria, through the LaTrobe Valley (Lions Club of Moe), East Gippsland (Lions Club of Twin Rivers), Geelong (Lions Club of Geelong Corio), the Western Districts (Lions Club of Warrnambool).
New South Wales (Lions Club of Bathurst, Lions Club of Epping Eastwood) and Queensland (Lions Club of Townsville-Mt Stuart.
The project is forecast to continue to expand nationally through 2021-2024 with eyes on international growth by the end of the decade.
Our Vision:
The children we serve develop the skills for a better life
This means we need to collect, sort, pack and ship 78,000 books a day, so we need your help.
THE FACTS: There are over 774,000 children living in poverty in Australia today. We know that when you are struggling to put food on the table, children’s books are a luxury.
123Read2Me Limited is a start-up Australian Public Benevolent Institution and Registered Charity with DGR (item 1) and TCC status, dedicated to providing FREE books to at-risk and vulnerable children, from birth to 12 years old.
International research is unequivocal. Reading aloud to children for 15 minutes every day builds the necessary neural networks to underpin success in school and throughout their lives, thereby breaking the cycle of poverty.
Waiting until the child starts school is too late. They will never catch up.
Reading Aloud to kids
“You are never too old, too wacky or wild, to pick up a book and read to a child.”
– Dr Seuss
Let us know if you can help
Thanks. We love to hear from you
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