In the midst of the holiday season, grocery bags pile high at the Larchmont-Mamaroneck Hunger Task Force food pantry. However, among canned goods and fresh produce sits something a bit different: stacks of books ranging from board books to chapter books. Young readers mob the display in delight. Behind the table, The Literacy Ambassadors, a club dedicated to promoting childhood literacy across the community, hands out stories as eagerly as they are received.
Founded in 2018 with the mission to “support literacy among all children in our community and to share our love of reading,” the Literacy Ambassadors work year-round to collect, sort, and distribute books to local families through two large donations. Though having a seemingly simple mission, the need for “quality and culturally appropriate books” for children year-round is imperative, says club advisor Mme. Anne Bridges.
This mission takes on a special meaning in December, as the group hosts one of its largest book giveaways of the year just before the holidays to ensure that families can leave the pantry with their essential food items supplemented with new and timely books that can be gifted to children across a range of ages.
“The earlier an appreciation for reading develops, the better,” Bridges explained. “We’re not talking about teaching two-year-olds how to read, but helping them to imagine themselves as readers” to make them feel “connected to learning” as early as possible.
To support that early spark, the club has recently doubled down on acquiring board books, especially those in Spanish. “Once children enter our district, they’re surrounded by books in school,” Bridges notes. “But preschoolers–especially those not yet in structured school programs–don’t have the same access.” That demand for engaging and durable books for toddlers has grown, and thanks to a partnership with J Anderson’s Bookshop, Literacy Ambassadors now distributes beautiful board books designed for even the youngest of readers in the community.
For co-president Eva Ilieva (‘26), moments at the pantry with these children are what make the work meaningful. “When we set up the books, the excitement of the children is palpable when they come over…and it reminds us why we do this.”
Ilieva also mentioned how the holidays amplify this excitement. “There’s already an energy in the air because families are stressed, rushing and doing a million things. When they get to pick out books that feel special and personal, it provides a pause of joy in the chaos.”
As the holidays place an increasingly higher emphasis on materialistic gift-giving, it is important to acknowledge that the most meaningful of gifts are those that carry the potential to facilitate connection. With books, lasting bonds are formed between themselves and the reader, a bond that Literacy Ambassadors hopes to foster this season.
