Building home libraries for children who need them most
LIFT brings books, literacy resources, and library connections directly to families who are
systematically excluded from traditional early literacy programs—reaching them through the
community organizations they already trust.
What LIFT Provides
Every Child Deserves Books of Their Own
We partner with WIC offices, shelters, housing centers, and early childhood sites to deliver books and resources directly to families—meeting them where they already are, through organizations they already trust.
Personal Book Collections
Age-appropriate books delivered regularly that children can keep and treasure as their own.
Parent Empowerment
Workshops and resources that celebrate parents as their child's first and most important teacher.
Library Connections
Clear pathways to ongoing library services, resources, and community support.
Literacy Celebrations
Community events with local artists, storytellers, and performers who bring reading alive.
Who We Serve
Reaching Families That Systems Miss
Even with excellent public library programs, thousands of families in our region face structural barriers that exclude them from early literacy support. These families aren’t unreachable—they’re underserved by systems designed for stability they don’t have.
Housing Instability
- Families experiencing homelessness
- Living in shelters or transitional housing
- Fleeing domestic violence
- Highly mobile families
Institutional Barriers
- Undocumented families
- Families affected by incarceration
- Foster and kinship caregivers
- Non-traditional family structures
Digital & Access Barriers
- No reliable internet access
- Non-library users
- Recent immigrants and refugees
- Young and teen parents
Trauma & Crisis
- Families managing multiple crises
- Time poverty from multiple jobs
- Temporary custody situations
- Families who don’t feel “deserving”
We remove every structural barrier that keeps vulnerable children from having books at home and a pathway to ongoing library resources.
Our Approach
How LIFT Works
LIFT is built on a simple truth: families in crisis still want the best for their children. We make early literacy accessible without requiring stability, internet access, or institutional engagement.
01
Zero-Barrier Access
No registration, no address required, no digital access needed. If you’re there, you’re eligible.
02
Trust-Based Delivery
We work through organizations families already use and trust—WIC offices, shelters, community centers.
03
Dual Impact
Books children keep forever, plus pathways that connect families to ongoing library services.
04
Meeting Families in Reality
We don’t assume stability. We design for the real lives families are living right now.
Serving Families Across the Region
Washington, DC
Baltimore, MD
Richmond, VA
Our Partners
Building a Network of Support
LIFT succeeds through deep partnerships with community organizations that families already know and trust. Together, we’re creating pathways to literacy that meet families where they are.
WIC Offices
Family Shelters
Public Libraries
Housing Centers
Early Childhood Programs
Community Centers
Current Partners
Organizations helping bring LIFT to families in DC, Baltimore, and Richmond.
Partner With Us
Does your organization serve families with young children? Let’s work together to bring books and literacy resources to the families you support.