A Mobile Library for Tree House Books

The vision at Tree House Books is that every child in Philadelphia has access to books, and every opportunity to pursue their dreams. This objective is an extension of a long-standing program in our Rotary club to offer dictionaries to third-graders in many nearby elementary schools. When we learned about Tree House Books, the fit was apparent from the start.

Tree House Books is a giving library and literacy center headquartered in North Philadelphia. Founded in 2005, it provides free books to children and families, and “Out of School Time” (OST) programs that increase literacy skills and promote a lifelong love of reading and writing. 

All of its programs serve neighborhoods throughout Philadelphia where access to books is scarce. Tree House Books reaches children from their earliest moments through high school, and adults in their household as well. Tree House Books has its roots in the belief that literacy - in its many forms - is fundamental to academic success, career readiness, and most important, personal empowerment.

Here’s a composite page from the 2021 Tree House Books annual report. In our successful campaign to raise funds for the Tree House van, we posted this You Tube video on our Facebook page. Take a look. Generous Rotarians and several community members helped us exceed our $10,000 goal.

Now we’re encouraging our Rotary district and clubs within the city to help us sustain the van’s operation through another year as it roams neighborhoods, block parties and playgrounds, keeping literacy moving.

You can assist our support with a designated gift through our donate button, or contact Tree House Books.

Tree House Books voted Lower Main Line Rotary its “Partner of the Year” for 2022, a cherished honor.

In the Himalayan foothills, K-12 education has a Rotary footprint

Since 2009, with the formation of the Himalayan Hope Charitable Foundation, Hans Sharma, CFP, has established the K-12 Gayatri Public School in Himachal Pradesh, the Northern India community of his birth. Named in honor of his mother and the sacrifices she made to send her son in 1982 to be educated in the United States, Gayatri Public School enrolls some 160 students.

Hans is a member of the Conshohocken Rotary Club, and has acquainted our club with the mission and objectives of the school. The Foundation website offers this summary of the school’s vision:

“In this region, it is often difficult for younger children, especially girls, to obtain quality education because the transition to a city is too cost-prohibitive. We hope to support and promote quality education for children, especially girls, in the Himalayan Mountain regions in India. We hope to contribute to reducing the education disparity between genders. We believe that an educated world is a much better world.”

You can assist our support with a designated gift through our donate button, or contact Himalayan Hope.