Detroit Local Chairty Operation: Kid Equip Awarded More Than $1 Million in Books

During the months of November and December, Operation: Kid Equip will award more than $1 million in books to each of the higher-poverty public schools the organization serves in Macomb and Oakland Counties. Roughly 90 schools will each receive an award valued at $10,000 in new reading and educational books.

Operation: Kid Equip works to increase the reading skills and academic achievements of children in need.

“This special award will allow children to claim reading as their own,” said Michael (Menachem) Kniespeck, founder and general director of Operation: Kid Equip. “Many teachers have told us about the excitement children feel when they receive a new book. Some teachers have told us that the books Operation: Kid Equip provides were often the first or only new book a child has ever received.”

During the next month, each of Operation: Kid Equip’s board members will also select a public school or nonprofit group of their choosing in southeastern Michigan to surprise with a $10,000 book grant. Each school, district or organization receiving an award will be able to schedule picking up the books from Operation: Kid Equip starting the second week of November.

Operation: Kid Equip works with publishers who donate book overruns and excess stock. The organization also receives books through its partnerships with other aid agencies around the nation. For this special award, a private donor helped cover the costs of transporting the books to Operation: Kid Equip for distribution.

As an all-volunteer organization, Operation: Kid Equip provides free supplemental school supplies, books, hygiene and food items for local children in need. Currently, the organization serves about 38,000 children a month across 90 schools in Macomb, Oakland and parts of Wayne County. Operation: Kid Equip works with public schools with 70 percent or more of the enrolled students eligible for the free and reduced-priced lunch program.

To learn more about Operation: Kid Equip, sign up to volunteer, or make a donation, visit the organization’s web site: www.operationkidequip.org