The Rotary Club of Austin recently partnered with Headwaters School on a successful literacy project that brought hundreds of books into the hands of students at Harris Elementary, a Title 1 school in Austin. What began as a no-budget book drive quickly became a meaningful community effort, with Rotary members and Headwaters students working side-by-side to collect, sort, and distribute gently used books to help children build their home libraries and encourage summer reading.
Led by Rotary members Mary Reynolds and Cindy Brummer, the project engaged volunteers from both organizations throughout the process. On distribution day, Headwaters students helped set up the books by grade level and personally handed them out to Harris Elementary students during lunch periods.
Beyond the impact on the younger students, the project also introduced the Headwaters students to Rotary’s mission of Service Above Self and demonstrated how community partnerships can create meaningful change. Remaining books will be distributed through future literacy efforts, extending the project’s impact even further.