A study spanning 20 years found that children growing up in homes with books stay in school longer than kids without books in their homes. I love to read, and I have had access to books all my life. When I was little, my parents read me a bedtime story, or two, or even more every night. Through school, I have had regular opportunities to borrow library books. I’ve always had the option of getting books at the wonderful public libraries and book stores in Ann Arbor. Not everyone has these chances. Globally, about one in five people is illiterate. At the current rate, over 700 million adults worldwide won’t be able to read in 2015. With your help, I’m going to try to change that.

For my mitzvah project I am supporting a nonprofit called Little Free Library. This organization builds mini libraries in areas that don’t have access to books. For the most part, these structures look like mailboxes in the shape of mini houses with a shelf or two inside and plexiglass door. Books go inside. The idea is that you take a book and leave a book in return.

I plan to design, build, and stock my own Little Free Library somewhere in the Ann Arbor area. With our support, Little Free Library will build and stock more Little Libraries in places where people have absolutely no access to books. I'm interested in helping to build libraries in Africa. To build a library in Africa it cost $800. (If we can do this, another non-profit will match the Little Free Library with $1000 worth of books.)

For more information or if you have questions, go online at www.littlefreelibrary.org or just let me know.

Thanks so much!

Gavi