MADISON, Wis.— The Madison Reading Project is booking it to a new location.
Last year, the non-profit provided a record 70-thousand new books to at-risk kids in and around the Dane County area. Due to the incredible growth of the organization, this year it needed to find a new home.
"Having a space that's accessible, you know, that was really important to us where people will be able to find us really easily or to come and volunteer easily," founder Rowan Childs said.
She says her team found that home near the Beltline in Fitchburg. The site offers five times as much space as the former Middleton office tower location, and something perhaps more important: Easy access.
The previous setup? Childs described a logistical nightmare.
"Taking the cart into the building, taking the elevator three flights up and then down the hall, unpack the cart, and then go back down and do it all over again," Childs said.
She says the new arrangement better for everyone
"And now we'll just be able to park the bus right up front," Childs said with a laugh.
The community-funded "Big Red Reading Bus" ensures underprivileged kids receive new books either through school social worker visits — or via at-home deliveries.
If you’d like to help them with the mission, click here.