Bound for Glory: Never Underestimate the Power of a Woman
Rebecca Constantino and her non-profit organization Access Books is featured in the August Issue of Ladies' Home Journal in the section Bound for Glory: Never Underestimate the Power of a Woman.
Text of Article, Ladies Home Journal, August 09, page 22
A decade ago, when Rebecca Constantino was doing research for her Ph.D. in education, she saw a recurring theme: Poor children lack reading skills because they have far less access to books. "It's not rocket science," she says. "You learn to read by reading, but you need something to read." So she collected used books from affluent schools, loaded them in the trunk of her car and delivered them to underserved schools and libraries in Los Angeles. Soon educators began requesting more books, and Constantino started raising money for the cause. A few months later, she established Access Books, a non-profit that has donated 1.3 million books to more than 150 schools and community centers and refurbished several neighborhood libraries along the way. "We serve kids who have never been to the ocean or a museum, so if they can visit one through a book and see possibilities, I am happy," Constantino says. "I want kids to know that if they can read, they can do anything."
HOW TO HELP: See accessbooks.net for drop-off locations in Southern California. You can also mail in books, or donate money or 15% of a purchase at amazon.com.
