Our Impact

This fall term, Yours Humanly hosted Family Literacy Night “round two” at two Concord, CA, elementary schools that are a part of our popular 10-school Family Literacy Night project, taking place between Fall 2023 and Spring 2025. The two events held at Holbrook Language Academy and Westwood Elementary School were attended collectively by more than 250 students and their families. Ultimately, our Family Literacy Night project, designed to promote early literacy and encourage parent engagement, will benefit more than 4,000 students served by Mt. Diablo Unified School District.

For round two, we purchased more than 1,000 books, which were given directly to the schools and distributed to students during the evening events. We purchased a wide variety of titles in both English and Spanish spanning TK through 5^th grade.  While the schools customized their own literacy night format in collaboration with our Yours Humanly Family Literacy Night project manager, each school provided fun, educational activities, reading corners, and literacy-themed arts and crafts for their students, in addition to handing out books to all students to take home as their own and a light dinner. Some of the evenings’ activities included word bingo, literacy passports, word search, bookmark crafts, and spelling tic-tac-toe. Students of Holbrook arrived at the event in pajamas and robes for a fun night of “bedtime” storytelling. 

Family Literacy nights are made possible through our Coloring Futures initiative and a generous grant of $213,000 from the City of Concord to fund our ten-school Family Literacy Night project. Please donate today to help us continue to reach students in need with the gift of books. View photos.

This fall, Meadow Homes Elementary School (Concord, CA) turned out in enthusiastic full force for Family Literacy Night, the first of two Yours Humanly literacy nights planned for the school’s students and families.

More than 350 people attended, including students who were accompanied by their parents and siblings. All were treated to a variety of evening activities, including free book distributions, library card sign-ups, literacy-themed crafts and word games, a reading by children’s author Nadine Fonseca, and a light buffet-style dinner.

We were pleased to purchase and deliver 3,750 English and bilingual books (valued at $20,000) that made their way into the hands of Meadow Homes students and onto the shelves of their classroom and school libraries. Every student chose three books to take home and keep as their own; students who could not attend, received their books in class the next day.  

The Yours Humanly Family Literacy Night project (literacy nights and book distributions) spans the 2023–2024 and 2024–2025 school years, and will benefit more than 4,000 students in ten Concord elementary schools served by Mt. Diablo Unified School District. This project is made possible through our Coloring Futures initiative and by a generous grant from the City of Concord. If you believe, as we do, that early literacy is the key to academic achievement, strong language skills, and lifelong learning, please donate today to help us continue to reach students in need with the gift of books. View Meadow Homes Elementary School Family Literacy Night photos.

In September, Yours Humanly hosted Family Literacy Night at Cambridge Elementary School (Concord, CA), attended by nearly 500 students, parents, and siblings, who enjoyed an evening of book distributions, literacy activities, and dinner, provided by community favorite Los Pinos. Principal Joanne Wathen and several teachers were on hand to speak (in both English and Spanish) with students and families and enjoy time together celebrating books and literacy. For Cambridge, this was the first of two Family Literacy Nights that Yours Humanly will host as a part of our two-year literacy project designed to benefit more than 4,000 Concord elementary school students served by Mount Diablo Unified School District. The second Cambridge Elementary literacy night will be held in Spring 2025.

Spanish is the first language for a large number of Cambridge families, and their children are bilingual by nature of their classroom curricula and studies. Therefore, a number of the more than 1,850 books (15 titles) purchased and distributed by Yours Humanly were bilingual, by a ratio of 2:1, to encourage and facilitate student reading at home with parents and guardians.

Online surveys distributed via a QR code resulted in positive feedback to open-ended questions in both English and Spanish, confirming that these family literacy events designed to encourage reading and parent involvement are welcome additions to a child’s educational journey.

The Yours Humanly Family Literacy Night project is made possible through our Coloring Futures initiative and by a generous grant of $213,000 from the City of Concord. If you believe, as we do, that early literacy is the key to academic achievement, strong language skills, and lifelong learning, please donate today to help us continue to reach to students in need with the gift of books. View Cambridge Elementary School Family Literacy Night photos.

Yours Humanly was pleased to provide resources for an outdoor learning center and full-sized playground for students in Grade 1 and up in a school in Takeo, Cambodia. Additionally, we provided resources for younger children, ages 3–5, who are often forgotten and who, in this school, had very little in the way of educational materials and playtime activities. In the kindergarten classroom, we provided medium-size, plastic play structures and age-appropriate books, school supplies, and educational activities. Now, the youngest children have opportunities to play, learn, and socialize in a safe and comfortable place before moving on to Grade 1.

Children need safe outdoor/indoor academic and play areas on their educational journeys. Please help us complete more projects like this, which supports our Bridging Gaps initiative, by donating today.

Yours Humanly provided multiple sets of newly built, bright blue desks and benches for classrooms in an impoverished community school in Nepal’s Dang district, home to 200+ students from kindergarten to Grade 10. The furniture was custom ordered with a sturdy design for classroom use from a factory in Kathmandu, then shipped and delivered by truck. While we were unable to provide new desks for every single student and teacher, the desks we did provide are already facilitating a better learning environment for those who attend and teach at the school. Each desk and bench set can comfortably seat four students—even five if they are younger—and come with storage space for books and stationery.

This project was made possible through our Bridging Gaps initiative, which allows us to respond to a need where there are no available resources. The physical state of classrooms and schools deeply affects student comfort, engagement, and ability to focus and learn. Please donate today to help us continue to provide proper classroom furniture and educational supplies, resources all students and teachers deserve, without question.

At an underserved elementary school in Prey Veng, Cambodia, home to more than 250 students, Yours Humanly funded and constructed a brand new playground with safe outdoor play equipment for multiple ages—a special place for children of this school and neighboring schools to come together to play and socialize. This is the first structured playground for these children in this area.

Additionally, Yours Humanly completely renovated one of the school’s classrooms, creating a safer, more pleasant learning environment for students and teachers. Along with the renovation, we funded and provided books and educational materials for classroom studies and curricula.

In appreciation, teachers, parents, students, and village officials hosted a festive outdoor ribbon cutting to acknowledge the work and support of Yours Humanly Cambodia. 

Your generous donations enabled us to fund the classroom renovations, books, and educational materials, and the playground for students at this underserved elementary school. The playground and classroom renovation project supports our Bridging Gaps initiative. Please help us continue to provide the resources children need to blend physical activity with their educational efforts by donating today. 

During the spring school term, Yours Humanly hosted the second of two Family Literacy nights planned for students and families of El Monte, Wren Avenue, and Sun Terrace elementary schools, attended collectively by more than 500 students and their families, designed to promote early literacy and encourage parent engagement. 

For round two, we purchased more than 1,800 books which were distributed to the three schools, with a variety of titles in both English and Spanish spanning TK through 5^thgrade. While the schools customized their own literacy night format in collaboration with our Yours Humanly Family Literacy Night project manager, each school provided fun, educational activities, reading corners, and literacy-themed arts and crafts for their students, in addition to book distributions.

Family Literacy nights are made possible through our Coloring Futures initiative and a generous grant of $213,000 from the City of Concord to fund our ten-school Family Literacy Night project, benefiting more than 4,000 Concord students. Please donate today to help us continue to reach students in need with the gift of books. View photos.

Yours Humanly was honored to attend the joyful ribbon cutting ceremony for the Yours Humanly Nepal Community Library, a special Yours Humanly project benefiting underprivileged children and youth in the Newar community. In attendance were local officials and eager children and adults, who extended their appreciation with smiles and Thank you’s. 

We repaired, renovated, and remodeled a large room on the top floor of a free standing building to create a welcoming library and education center—a special space and place for hundreds of children from different schools to enjoy. We funded and provided for the construction, as well as the shelving, tables, and chairs, and books and educational materials. For most children in the community, this is the first time they’ve had access to a library and learning center.

This is our fourth library construction and dedication in Nepal. Special thanks to the Yours Humanly Nepal team for doing such an amazing job on this special library. This project supports our Bridging Gaps initiative, and it is with deepest gratitude that we acknowledge all those who made this effort possible through their generous donations. Libraries are a gateway to education and lifelong learning. Please help us continue to provide quality libraries and educational centers to children in need who often go without. Please donate today. 

Yours Humanly has established a stand-alone ESL (English as a Second Language) program in Siem Reap, Cambodia, for children in desperate need of even the bare necessities of life. Here, under the roof of a structure we renovated for this purpose, we offer more than 250 severely impoverished children the opportunity to learn English through structured English classes with qualified English instructors and age-appropriate books and learning material. Once the children complete the multi-year program, funded and operated solely by Yours Humanly, they will be able to communicate in English—reading, writing, and speaking—giving them a bilingual advantage in an increasingly competitive and hi-tech world where English is the most widely spoken language.

Classes are offered twice a week, Saturdays and Sundays, 5–7pm, throughout the year (except for two national holidays). This is all voluntary on the part of the students—and the good news is, the classes are full! The children of this impoverished area are eager to learn English, eager for new books and instruction, and eager to join siblings and friends on this adventure in a nurturing and supportive environment. You can feel the energy and excitement—you can see their paths brightened.

Your generous donations made this opportunity come true for these children, and by extension, their families and communities. Please help us continue to provide ESL education to children in need by donating today and supporting programs such as this one, made possible through our Coloring Futures initiative. 

In April, Yours Humanly celebrated the opening of the Smart Anganwadi Center, a newly constructed Yours Humanly Day School in Pauri, Uttarakhand, India, for children ages 3-6, who come from impoverished backgrounds. The festive ribbon cutting, held April 12, was attended by school leaders, elected officials, and community members.

Children in this severely impoverished community live in wage worker households, where they are often left on their own while their parents are working. With no supervision or structured pre-school educational activities, many children simply wander the streets and are ill-prepared when they finally enter public school in Grade 1.

To address this gap, Yours Humanly funded the construction of the Smart Anganwadi Center, a Yours Humanly Day School, in partnership with the Women Empowerment and Child Development Department. Here, pre-schoolers spend their days in a safe and structured environment, with two full meals a day and quality, age-appropriate learning and socializing, getting ready for public school. Yours Humanly is also providing for school supplies, educational resources, books, furniture, and teacher salaries.

The Day School is a significant step toward building a strong foundation and shaping the future success of children from these impoverished communities. Special thanks to the Yours Humanly India team for doing such a fabulous job! Deepest gratitude to all those who made this project possible through their generous donations. 

Please donate today to help us continue to provide educational spaces such as the Yours Humanly Day School to children desperately in need. View photos of our Day School in Pauri, India.

Yours Humanly was pleased to grant the Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) $25,000 to fund the purchase of more than 500 Oakland Family Literacy Kits—LitKits—intended for three OUSD elementary schools. The LitKits are being distributed to more than 500 TK–2nd grade students at Allendale, Madison Park, and Martin Luther King, Jr., elementary schools. We are pleased to partner with OUSD on this district-wide literacy Initiative, and we’re honored to be a part of the district’s efforts to engage families in their children’s educational journey.

We extend our sincerest appreciation to Safeway Foundation for its generous donation, which helped support this Oakland literacy project.

This LitKit grant was made possible through our Yours Humanly Coloring Futures Initiative, which supports early literacy programs and provides access to educational resources to children in need. If you believe, as we do, that early literacy is the cornerstone for academic success and life’s achievements, please donate today to help us continue to reach children in need.

On a Friday evening in March, Yours Humanly hosted Family Literacy Night at Holbrook Language Academy, a distinctive Two-way Dual Language K–8th school in Concord, CA, where students are taught literacy and academic content in English and Spanish full time.

Attended by more than 200 students and their families and led by Principal Sylvia Orellana with assistance from a number of parent readers and teacher facilitators, Holbrook’s Family Literacy Night agenda included dinner, reading corners, story-based arts and crafts, interactive family games, a Spanish Tales short film, and book distributions.

Twelve different titles were on display for distribution at the event, with at least three choices to take home per grade, K–8. Students who could not attend Family Literacy Night received their books in class. Decorations and prizes were donated by the school’s PFC, and special guest Contra Costa Librarian Roa Lasalle registers students and families for library cards.

This high impact Yours Humanly Family Literacy Night project, which will benefit more than 4,000 students served by the Mt. Diablo Unified School District during the 2023–2024 and 2024–2025 school years, is made possible through our Coloring Futures initiative and by a generous grant of $213,000 from the City of Concord. If you believe, as we do, that early literacy is the key to academic achievement, strong language skills, and lifelong learning, please donate today to help us continue to reach to students in need with the gift of books. View Holbrook Language Academy Family Literacy Night photos.

Earlier this year, more than 225 students, parents, and siblings turned out for Family Literacy Night at Westwood Elementary School (Concord, CA, Contra Costa County). Hosted by Yours Humanly and led by Principal Nancy Klinkner, this was one of twenty family literacy nights we plan to host in 2023–2024 and 2024–2025 at ten Concord elementary schools served by Mt. Diablo Unified School District.

Evening activities included free book distributions, library card sign-ups, literature-themed games, read-alongs, spelling hopscotch, art projects, and a light buffet style dinner.

We purchased enough books to provide one free book to every student at Westwood; that evening, we distributed more than 240 books for students to take home and keep as their own. Westwood’s teachers selected the titles and books were distributed by grade: More Than Words: So Many Ways to Say What We Mean, Roz McLean; Your Name is a Song, Jamilah Thompkins Bigelow; Zoey and Sassafras: Dragons & Marshmallows, Asia Citro; Dragons in a Bag, Zetta Elliott; The Total Eclipse of Nestor Lopez, Adrianna Cuevas; Refugee, Alan Gratz.

Because Westwood serves a significant population of deaf and hard of hearing students, an American Sign Language interpreter was there to interpret the evening’s program. And, a Spanish-language interpreter was on hand to translate the program in real time.

Our Westwood Family Literacy Night was featured in the Mt. Diablo Unified School District newsletter!

The Yours Humanly Family Literacy Night project, which will benefit more than 4,000 students during the 2023–2024 and 2024–2025 school years, is made possible through our Coloring Futures initiative and by a generous grant of $213,000 from the City of Concord. If you believe, as we do, that early literacy is the key to academic achievement, strong language skills, and lifelong learning, please donate today to help us continue to reach to students in need with the gift of books. View Westwood Elementary School Family Literacy Night photos.

More than 250 impoverished students in an underserved school in Battambang, Cambodia, now have safe and comfortable spaces to play, do their homework, and eat their lunches on their school campus. Through our Bridging Gaps initiative, Yours Humanly funded a newly constructed outdoor learning center and playground with play structures, tables, and benches for children to use during recess and after school. For children who had long gone without these basic educational necessities, the new learning center and playground are, indeed, fun and welcomed places to do school work and spend quality time with friends, siblings, and teachers.

If you’d like to help students in need at other schools in Cambodia, we welcome your donations. Please click here to donate.

On Tuesday, October 3, Yours Humanly hosted Family Literacy Night at El Monte Elementary School (Concord, CA, Contra Costa County), held inside and outdoors on the school’s campus. Unlike our more traditional literacy nights, El Monte’s was an all-school book fair, drawing more than 300 people, including students and their families, to the festivities designed to promote early literacy and encourage parent engagement. We purchased and donated 1,894 English and Spanish K-5 books, which were displayed on tables and available through the popular book vending machine in the multi-purpose room. Students earned tickets and tokens by completing educational activities and exchanged those rewards for books of their choice to take home and keep. Dinner was also served outside, providing something for everyone during the warm fall evening. 

El Monte’s Family Literacy Night was made possible through our Coloring Futures initiative and a generous grant of $213,000 from the City of Concord to fund our ten-school Family Literacy Night project, benefiting more than 4,000 Concord students. 

Early literacy is the key to academic achievement, strong language skills, and lifelong learning. Please donate today to help us continue to reach students in need with the gift of books. View El Monte Family Literacy Night photos.

On October 19, Yours Humanly presented the Mt. Diablo Education Foundation (MDEF) with a check for $12,000 to go toward robotics programs in the Mt. Diablo Unified School District (MDUSD, Contra Costa County). More than a science, robotics mixes complex math with art, programming, and engineering, encouraging curiosity and helping young people develop logical thinking skills and problem-solving mindsets—keys to thriving in our digital world. These funds were raised by sponsors, participants, and supporters of our September 30 Break a Sweat for Education 5K Run & Walk. Held at Mt. Diablo High School, the presentation included members of the MDEF and Yours Humanly boards, accompanied by Dr. Adam Clark, Superintendent of MDUSD. 

This donation supports our Bridging Gaps initiative, helping to bridge the gaps between need and resources. We offer our deepest thanks to all who stepped forward to participate in the educational journeys of children in need. If you, too, support robotics in the classroom, please donate today and help us expand educational opportunities for children and youth.

More than 125 Yours Humanly scholars in Cambodia, Haiti, India, and Nepal are enjoying another year of schooling through our K–12 Scholarship Program. A central component of our Coloring Futures initiative, the annual scholarships are at the core of what we do for desperately impoverished children: fully funding their educational experience, every year, from placement in their local school through high school graduation, as well as enrolling them in ESL and computer instruction classes and seeing to their housing and living needs to ensure their academic success. With generous donations from our supporters, we annually cover the full costs of tuition, uniforms, mid-day meals, books, study materials, school supplies, and all other educational needs. This is an ongoing program of annual individual scholarships, funded and managed every year for another year of schooling.

If you feel, as we do, that every child everywhere deserves an education, please help us help our scholars, and those children who still live on the streets, deserving of an opportunity to experience a transformative education in a safe and nurturing environment. Please donate today.

On September 19, Yours Humanly hosted Family Literacy Night at Sun Terrace Elementary School (Concord, CA; Contra Costa County) attended by more than 110 students, who were joined by more than 90 parents and families. This event  was one of several we plan to hold during the 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 school years in ten Concord (CA) elementary schools served by Mt. Diablo Unified School District.

Sun Terrace used the One School, One Book approach, a program designed to create a shared reading experience within a single elementary school community, selecting Giraffes Can’t Dance (Giles Andreae) for TK–3, and Blended (Sharon M. Draper) for 4-5. We purchased 970 English-language and Spanish-language books, one for each student to take home and keep as their own, to read alone and with parents, and to share with siblings and friends. After dinner, which we provided, and an energetic welcome by Principal Eric Wood, we distributed books to eager students. Then it was on to arts and crafts activities. 

The high impact Yours Humanly Family Literacy Night Project, which will benefit more than 4,000 students during the 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 school years, is made possible through our Coloring Futures initiative and by a generous $213,000 grant from the City of Concord. 

If you believe, as we do, that early literacy is the key to academic achievement, strong language skills, and lifelong learning, please donate to help us continue to reach students in need with the gift of books. View Sun Terrace Family Literacy Night photos.

On September 12, Yours Humanly hosted a Family Literacy Night, which included dinner, arts activities, and book distributions, at Wren Avenue Elementary School (Concord, CA, Contra Costa County), attended by more than 50 students and more than 65 of their parents and family members. This was one of twenty family literacy nights we plan to host in 2023–2024 and 2024–2025 at ten Concord elementary schools served by Mt. Diablo Unified School District.

We purchased close to 400 books, one each for all students at Wren Avenue, to take home and keep as their own, to read alone and with parents, and to share with siblings and friends. Wren’s teachers chose A Boy Called Bat (Elana K. Arnold) for K–2, and Merci Suárez Changes Gears (Meg Medina), for 3–5. After a warm welcome and opening remarks by Principal Celeste Kitts, we distributed the English-language and bilingual books to students—who gleefully showed off their books to family members and the event photographer—and watched as they engaged in the evening’s arts and crafts activities. 

This high impact Family Literacy Night project, which will benefit more than 4,000 students during the 2023–2024 and 2024–2025 school years, was made possible through our Coloring Futures initiative and by a generous grant of $213,000 from the City of Concord. If you believe, as we do, that early literacy is the key to academic achievement, strong language skills, and lifelong learning, please donate today to help us continue to reach to students in need with the gift of books. View Wren Avenue Family Literacy Night photos.

Yours Humanly enrolled our 16 scholars, who live in an orphanage in Kampong Chhnang province, Cambodia, in off-site high-level English-language classes. The boys and girls, ages 7 to 15 years, will learn to read, write, and speak English from qualified English teachers and through a variety of beginner, intermediate, and advanced level teaching methods, including Rosetta Stone, which teaches vocabulary, pronunciation, and grammar through computer-assisted language learning software.

Once the children complete the multi-year program, they will know how to communicate in English, giving them a bilingual advantage in an increasingly competitive and hi-tech world where English is the most widely spoken language. Their English language skills will open opportunities for travel, exploration, employment, careers, and connection with cultures around the world, setting them on paths toward bright and unbounded futures.

This project was made possible through our Coloring Futures initiative and the generous donations of our Yours Humanly supporters on behalf of children in need. If you would like to help fund similar projects in impoverished communities to advance ESL and English fluency, please donate today.