Book Donation Aimed at Young Vets with Children in VA Waiting Rooms

Judith’s Reading Room, a nonprofit literacy organization that serves active-duty military and returning vets, expands to New York. Canandaigua VA, New York, is the eighth VA hospital to join its “VA 100” book donation program.

The latest request for books came from the library at Canandaigua VA, southeast of Rochester, New York, where the hospital is seeing more young men and women veterans with children who are currently returning from active duty and utilizing the services of the VA.

The organization will ship 50 new and gently-read children’s books every other month beginning in April to Canandaigua VA in honor of Doris Leiber, mother of Co-Founder, Scott Leiber. Doris, a native New Yorker, member of the Greatest Generation, Navy veteran, WWII, where she served as a WAVE based in the San Francisco Bay Area, and mother of five, will turn 90 in August. “This donation in honor of my mother will enrich lives by providing books to those that do not have access to them,” said Leiber. “Doris Leiber — a member of the Greatest Generation continues to give service through the gift of these books,” he added.

Judith’s Reading Room launched its “VA 100” Program in November 2010 when it began shipping 100 paperback books each month to interested VA hospitals. The idea was inspired by several board members who wanted to honor the veterans in their families. Since November 2010, the organization has shipped 9,507 books worth $81,438 to eight VA hospitals in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York.

The VA Medical Center in Wilkes-Barre, Pa was the first VA hospital to sign up for the “VA 100” Program. Other VA hospitals followed: Coatesville Veteran’s Hospital, the VA in Altoona, Butler Health Care and the PA Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Home in Pennsylvania; and the VA in East Orange, New Jersey. This month, Judith’s Reading Room expanded to two New York VA hospitals: the VA at Albany and Canandaigua VA.

Judith’s Reading Room promotes “Freedom through Literacy” by providing custom libraries to nonprofit organizations around the world that serve people who, for any reason, have limited or no access to books. To date, the organization has established 46 libraries in six states and six countries including 48,932 books valued at $563,544.