Donate
YOUR SUPPORT MATTERS
According to research by the Building Alliance for Early Learning, in low income neighborhoods, the ratio of books to children is one book for every 300 children, compared to 13 books per child in middle income neighborhoods. Furthermore, 21% of children have 10 or fewer books in the home while 2% have no books at all.
Our Little Libraries are replenished by books from generous individuals, families and groups. Without donors, book drive organizers, and other volunteers, the St. Lucie Reads goal to grow great readers simply could not be realized.
We are always grateful for any contribution you make, any time you give. Your help directly affects hundreds of thousands of children here in St. Lucie County. You empower families with the gift of books, the knowledge to develop language skills, and the promise of literacy for children.
Ways to make a difference:
Got books? We welcome your donations of gently used and new children’s books (birth through high-school school age).
St. Lucie Reads will accept hardcover and paperback books if they are in good condition. Donations will be evaluated and, if appropriate, will be added to the St. Lucie Reads collection.
Items not accepted include VHS tapes, adults books, magazines or encyclopedia sets, because our programs do not distribute them. All books should be in good condition, without missing or torn pages and covers, mold or markings. They should be odor-free.
Donated items may be dropped off at the Children’s Services Council of St. Lucie County office during regular business hours.
If you have a large donation, for instance 4 boxes or a hundred items, you may want to contact us to arrange for assistance in bringing them in, but it’s otherwise not necessary to contact us before delivering a donation. It is also possible to arrange a pick-up of small donations of books.
Enclosing multiple items in bags or boxes to make them easier to move will be much appreciated.
While donations of quality items are gratefully accepted, Children’s Services staff can not be responsible for the valuation of a gift. We cannot appraise donated materials or indicate a value on the receipt. If desired, the donor may receive a donation receipt for the number and type of materials donated.
You can help give a child the tools for success by running a book drive in your company, organization, or community group any time of year.
We rely heavily on book donations in order to keep our bookshelves stocked all year long. Many of our donations come from our ongoing book drives throughout the county. Be a part of our story and host your own book drive!
If you would like to hold a book drive, please contact us and keep our guidelines in mind. Please let us know if you have any questions. We wish you much success with your book drive!
Book Drive Guidelines
- All books should be gently used or new children’s books or books suitable for birth to teens. No loose bindings, stains, coloring or torn pages. Please note that condition is very important.
- Books should be sorted by approximate grade level. It doesn’t have to be exact. For example, a box can be labeled K-3.
- Books should be boxed in a sturdy box with a weight of no more than 35 pounds.
- Children’s books and books suitable for grades PreK-12 are welcome with the following exceptions:
- No textbooks
- No encyclopedias
- No magazines
- No out-of-date reference materials (almanacs from 1992, etc.)
- No CDs or video
We thank each and every person and group collecting books for the children we serve. Your contributions make our work possible!
Through all of our St. Lucie Reads partners we are working to get books into the homes of struggling readers. If you would like to make a tax-deductible monetary donation to purchase books, please contact us by clicking here.