Lead to Read KC

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Lead to Read KC is dedicated to supporting children's social, emotional and reading skills. Learn more: leadtoreadkc.org.

Launched in 2011, Lead to Read KC connects hundreds of elementary students attending high-need schools with caring adult Reading Mentors each week through our traditional in-classroom and digital reading and mentoring programs. And, we have launched Reading Is Everywhere(SM), a community book distribution initiative, and Reading For Life Author Partnerships to promote self-esteem, coping skills and wellness among the students we serve.

10/16/2026

Thank you to these amazing groups for sorting, cleaning, and prepping the huge wave of books our September donors gave for young readers!

Avila University Cheerleaders • Chicken N Pickle Headquarters • Fourth Thursday Fulfillment • Hallmark • Southeast Enterprises Packaging & Assembly Specialists • St. Charles Borromeo Parish Young Adults • VML

Because of their hard work, our Reading Is Everywhere program can distribute more than 4,500 books each month through schools, community events, and book baskets at community partner locations across the metro.

Want to help process donations? Volunteer on Nov. 16: leadtoreadkc.org/november-book-fulfillment

10/15/2026

Chiefs Kingdom, this one's for you! ❤️💛 Enter our Premium Raffle for a chance to win a helmet signed by the GOAT himself, Patrick Mahomes. 🐐🏈 Only 200 tickets are available at $50 each, and you don't need to attend the fair to win.

Get yours before they're gone 👉 leadtoreadkc.org/bookfair

The winner will be drawn at the end of the fair and, if not in attendance, contacted within 48 hours. All sales support Lead to Read KC programs.

10/14/2026

Our Reading Mentors at Pitcher Elementary and Trailwoods Elementary make reading time the best part of the week! Thank you for showing up, sharing stories, and making every session count.

Here's the best part: reading with kids is simple, fun, and easy. Grab a friend and sign up at leadtoreadkc.org/volunteer to help us take students off the waitlist at these schools:

🏫 Frontier School of Innovation
🏫 Guadalupe Centers Elementary School
🏫 Melcher Elementary
🏫 Scuola Vita Nuova Charter School

10/12/2026

Today, on Indigenous Peoples' Day, we celebrate the wisdom, culture, and storytelling traditions of Indigenous communities, past and present. Their stories shape the books we share, the lessons we learn, and the belief that every child deserves to see themselves on the page.

The Lead to Read KC office is closed today in observance of the holiday.

10/09/2026

Missed our October newsletter? Here's what you need to know before the month is out:

📚 Reading Mentoring is back in classrooms across 33 partner schools
🎟️ Tickets are on sale for The KC Book Fair on Nov. 5
🏈 A Mahomes-signed Chiefs helmet is up for grabs in our Premium Raffle
✍️ Our new Author Partners are Croix Bethune, Crystal Ellison, and JQ Sirls

Catch up on every story at conta.cc/4AoijEz and never miss another. Subscribe at bit.ly/LTRKC_Newsletter.

10/08/2026

Feeling lucky? 🍀 Raffle tickets for The KC Book Fair are on sale now, and you don't have to attend to win! Grab 1 entry for $5 or 5 entries for $20 for a shot at some seriously fantastic prizes. 💎🍷🎁

Try your luck 👉 leadtoreadkc.org/bookfair

Winners are drawn at the end of the fair, and anyone not in attendance will be contacted within 48 hours. All sales support Lead to Read KC programs.

10/07/2026

Laura Myers's path to Lead to Read KC started, quite simply, with being a mom. Once both of her boys were in school, Laura began volunteering in their classrooms: four years of showing up, pitching in, and getting a firsthand look at what kids need to thrive. That experience left her wanting more, and when a position opened up as a Tutoring Facilitator at Garfield Elementary, she took it.

It didn't take long for Laura to fall in love with the work. "I really liked learning about Lead to Read and the impact they have on our community," she said. "It's pretty cool to see the growth and love for books being shared between mentors and students during each session." That same joy is one she knows well from home, where reading with her own boys, currently obsessed with Dory Fantasmagory, has become a cherished ritual. "We can't stop laughing at her shenanigans."

That journey from parent volunteer to Tutoring Facilitator has now led Laura to her newest role as Site Coordinator at Garfield Elementary. She holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Central Missouri and a master's in Public Administration from UMKC, and also spent four years working as a data analyst at Americo.

When she's not at Garfield, you'll likely find Laura at a group fitness class at the crack of dawn, chasing her two boys around the city's parks and sporting events with her husband, or squeezing in a game night with friends.

10/06/2026

Thank you, Neville Miller KMBC for sharing this great book with kids! We're proud to be part of KMBC 9 Cares for Kids, and appreciate everyone who is contributing to their campaign benefiting Lead to Read KC!

10/05/2026

265 kids need a Reading Mentor right now. Not next semester. Not next year. Now.

The school year is in full swing, and we're working tirelessly to make sure every student in our partner classrooms has a mentor. We won't give up on them. That's why we recruit year-round. We hope you won't either.

Become a mentor or invite a friend today: leadtoreadkc.org/apply

10/02/2026

Every book a child takes home starts with someone who chose to give. Thank you to our September book donors!

AMC Theatres • Erin Lambert of the National Charity League • Girls on the Run Serving Greater Kansas City at Frontier School of Innovation • Courtney Meyer of PCMA Heartland Chapter (Professional Convention Management Association) • POAH Communities • Q104 KC and 94.1 KFKF • Emily Vogt of Romanelli Gardens • Typo's Bookstore patrons • U.S. Engineering • Visit KC • Visitation School • VML • National WWI Museum and Memorial

Taylor Bauer • Martha Conradt • Elizabeth C***s • Taryn Daniels • Lori Fairchild • Kelly Frazier • Chris Hornbeck • Becky Jones • Laura Mueller • Todd Peters • Alix Pridgen • Rhonda Rein • Carole Steele • Brooklyn Wagler

Through our Reading Is Everywhere program, we distribute more than 4,500 books EVERY month! Help keep the donations coming by hosting a book drive: leadtoreadkc.org/book-drive-toolkit

Address

P. O. BOX 411006
Kansas City, MO
64141

Telephone

+18165437759

Website

http://www.leadtoreadkc.org/

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