Ellensburg Little Free Libraries visited by TORC the CAT

Making a Difference, One Book at a Time! #SMILESwithTORC

TORC the CAT visited 19 Little Free Libraries in Ellensburg, Washington, where he donated a grand total of 57 books. The first-time finders got a coloring book as a bonus to the matching TORC the CAT children's books.

Why is TORC donating his books to Little Free Libraries around the country? Because he believes all children from all backgrounds should have easy access to books year-round at home.

Why does having access to even a relatively small set of books seem to make such a big difference? The U.S. Department of Education maintains that independent reading is a widely recognized precursor to:

• Better skills acquisition

• Superior grades

• Desirable life related to income, profession, employment, and other attributes.

30.9% of Ellensburg, WA residents had an income below the poverty level in 2019, which was much higher than the poverty level of 9.8% across the entire state of Washington. Taking into account residents not living in families, 54.1% of high school graduates and 53.8% of non high school graduates live in poverty. The poverty rate was 31.9% among disabled males and 36.6% among disabled females. (Source: http://www.city-data.com/poverty/poverty-Ellensburg-Washington.html)