United Way of Southwestern Pa. distributing 40,000 books to in-need kids

By JOSH EWERS
TribLive

Some 40,000 portals to different worlds were readied to be opened at Acrisure Stadium Wednesday morning that saw the Steelers playbook take a backseat to more immediate tomes.

During The United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania’s eighth annual Big Book Drop, more than 200 volunteers helped pack, label and distribute books of all varieties to encourage summer reading among in-need children and help build in-home libraries.

Since 2019, the event has shepherded the distribution of nearly 214,000 books.

On the second of three days inside the stadium’s Great Hall, books of all genres aimed at kids ages 0-12 were stacked high across numerous tables with familiar titles like “The Mouse and the Motorcycle” by Beverly Cleary, “The Baby-Sitters Club” by Raina Telgemeier based on the work of Ann M. Martin, and “Diary of a Wimpy Kid Old School” by Jeff Kinney.

Each will be sent to one of 100 United Way partner agencies across Allegheny, Armstrong, Butler, Fayette and Westmoreland counties.

“They’re going far and wide to make sure that they get to as many kids as we can living in the homes that need them the most,” said Wendy Koch of Plum, senior director of regional engagement for United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania. “It’s always been about helping those families living in that paycheck-to-paycheck cycle who are working very hard but just can’t earn enough to keep up with the cost what it costs to run a household in today’s day and age.”

On Thursday, representatives from those agencies will descend on the painstakingly assembled titles — collectively purchased with corporate partner donations and individual donations to the United Way for $85,000 — and distribute them to children of low-income families they serve.

“We know that reading early supports brain development, it supports your your vocabulary as you get older,” said Koch. “And if you’re reading on grade level, you’re much more likely to graduate high school and that’s really what we want.”

According to the Institute of Education Sciences, students who reach grade-level proficiency in reading by third grade are four times more likely to graduate and succeed in their careers.

This year, Koch said, need in the region was greater than in years past. Inflation hit a three year high of 3.8% in April and average gas prices in Allegheny County are nearing $5 a gallon, according to AAA.

“We’re seeing more need from every category,” said Koch. “Right now, the elevated cost of gasoline is impacting things so much. [Even throughout last year] we kept seeing more and more people needing food and other basic needs. We know when you’re fighting basic needs and you don’t have the ability to pay for just those, the extras are the first things that have to go.”

According to Koch, school districts are the main source of requests the United Way receives to aid in providing reading material for kids to take home.

In 2025, the Trump administration attempted to gut the library-funding federal agency the Institute of Museum and Library Services in an executive order that was formally overturned in federal court in December. The administration withdrew an appeal of the decision in April.

Housing director Devin Cunningham and administrative director Linda Thoma of Christian nonprofit food, housing and financial insecurity organization, The Lighthouse Foundation, were on hand as volunteers split into teams to tackle the mammoth effort during their organization’s first year taking part.

“You go to the school libraries now, and there’s not very many books in there. I was kind of shocked at that,” said Thoma. “They don’t get to necessarily take those books home. This gives them something that’s theirs.”

Their organization has also seen that same increase in need over the past year across services, causing leadership to preemptively request the book program’s per-agency max of 250 books for the 80-125 people who utilize its food pantry daily as well as those utilizing its child care center.

“[We’re seeing a] huge increase in the amount of referrals that we’re getting just because the assistance programs that have been out there, all the rental programs, they’re dying off,” said Cunningham. “Funding is falling down. There’s no funding left.

“There’s a lot more families and individuals reaching out because they can’t afford their housing for one reason or another. Our food pantry has seen a very large increase over the last year.”

It’s amid that climate in 2026 that leadership at United Way of Southwestern Pa. expects to break a quarter- million books distributed over the life of the program.

“I just want [kids] to have that love, that spark of imagination, that ability to dive into a book,” said Koch. “I read constantly and I still think about those books that I read when I was little — ‘Morris’s Disappearing Bag.’ That’s what I want for every kid.”

The Big Book Drop’s corporate partners this year include Birmingham Foundation, CentiMark Foundation, Grant Thornton, Highmark and original partner KPMG.

Each of those and other organizations also sent volunteers, like S&T Bank employee Ethan Harter of New Sewickley, to aid in the undertaking.

“I have a niece and nephew. I love them to death, and I’m so proud of them with how much they can do on reading and improving their reading skills,” said Harter. “So helping out anyone, especially that can’t afford books or get books, is super important to me.”