Families In Schools (FIS) has launched “Read LA! Storytime: Bringing Comfort Through Stories,” a literacy initiative designed to support young children affected by the recent wildfires across Los Angeles County.
Scholastic, the global children’s publishing education and media company, donated more than 10,000 books and Paperpie donated 3,000 books. The program will focus on young children in preschool through third grade in the communities of Altadena, Pasadena and Pacific Palisades, aiming to provide comfort and joy to children and families during this challenging time.
Through the power of storytelling, “Read LA! Storytime” is recruiting and deploying a corps of trained literacy volunteers to read to impacted children to provide emotional support, comfort and a sense of normalcy. With parental or caregiver consent, each child will receive a backpack containing four diverse books, ensuring access to reading materials despite displacement and hardship.
Book donations aim to restore hope and literacy
“This initiative is about more than just books; it’s about providing children with stability and emotional relief through books and storytelling,” said Yolie Flores president and CEO of Families in Schools. “In addition to elevating the importance of early literacy, reading aloud fosters connection, resilience and healing, and we are committed to bringing this aid to children affected by the fires.”
The initiative — part of Families In School’s “Read LA!” campaign — consists of two phases. Phase I, launching immediately, focuses on recruiting and training literacy volunteers to read to children at designated community sites at least twice a week, collaborating with local organizations, schools and government agencies to identify families most in need, and providing trauma-informed training to volunteers to ensure sensitive and effective engagement with children and families.
“Scholastic is proud to collaborate with Families In Schools to bring quality books to children affected by the wildfires. Research from the Scholastic Kids & Family Reading Report shows that storytelling and reading are powerful tools for enhancing student mental health and positive self-esteem,” said Billy DiMichelle, senior vice president of Scholastic’s Brand Marketing & Corporate Social Responsibility. “These books not only play a vital role in helping young learners regain a sense of stability and comfort during this challenging time, but also foster continued learning and resilience through access to stories.”
Melissa Roche, a brand ambassador and educational services representative for PaperPie, said: “It was an honor to help contribute books and comfort for families in need. Over 50 brand partners rallied together to raise funds, and with PaperPie’s generous 50% match of donations, we were able to donate nearly 3,500 books for kids who were impacted by the fires. We’re grateful for the opportunity to bring comfort, hope, and the joy of reading to families during these difficult times.”
Phase II of the program, launching in the rebuilding phase of fire recovery (2026 and beyond), aims to make a lasting impact by providing at least 20 diverse books per child to help rebuild home libraries, restoring children’s books in local libraries and early childhood centers affected by the fires nd partnering with national and local organizations, such as book publishers and philanthropic groups, to ensure the long-term recovery of children’s literacy resources.
Volunteers Needed: Join the Read LA! Effort
Families In Schools invites community members and organizations to join the “Read LA! Storytime” initiative. Volunteers and partners can help bring the healing power of storytelling to children in need. To volunteer, visit bit.ly/readlastorytime. Visit here for the Spanish form: bit.ly/leamoslahoradecuento.
