MADISON, Wis (SPECTRUM NEWS)-- A Madison based non-profit known for providing brand new books to at risk kids in the Dane County area is working to provide books to more than 5,000 children during the pandemic.  

Madison Reading Project’s Founder Rowan Childs says to do that, volunteers took extra safety precautions and are now carefully bagging up books and using the program’s 'Big Red Reading Bus' for hundreds of contactless home deliveries.  

"Charting out a map of the neighborhood and the deliveries is quite a bit of work," Childs said about the labor of love effort. 

Childs believes her non-profit is making a big difference in the new normal.

"Many kids are not able to purchase new books right now or to go to the library," she said.

She says that's why the organization is doing all it can, from a safe distance to provide literacy efforts.

"’We want to try and provide a variety of books to just help them [kids] stay curious, to learn new things, to keep reading for their literacy skills and keep them as much up to date until they go back to school," she said.

The Madison Reading Project will soon be accepting gently used books once again. To learn more about the program and how to financially help the organization, click here.