David Baldacci’s initiative has distributed over 1 million books through food banks

For many families, a visit to a food bank is about meeting an immediate need: putting meals on the table. Author David Baldacci and his wife, Michelle, wanted to add something that could nourish another part of family life, too. In 2008, their Wish You Well Foundation partnered with Feeding America to launch Feeding Body & Mind, a programme that collects new and gently used books and distributes them through food banks. Baldacci’s website says the initiative has collected and delivered more than one million books to families in need. The idea is straightforward: food helps sustain people today, while books can encourage learning, imagination and literacy over time. It has also given food banks a way to offer families something beyond groceries.Bringing books to food banksFeeding Body & Mind grew from the Baldaccis’ wider commitment to literacy.