Hendry/Glades Receives VPK Children books

LABELLE, FL. -- BelieveNBooks launched its My Very Own Book (MVOB) initiative in September 2026 and completed book distribution that month. More than 6,800 VPK children received books through over 150 participating early learning centers across eight Florida counties, including Hendry and Glades.

The initiative helps young children begin building home libraries with books they can keep.

BelieveNBooks was founded in 2021 by then middle school student Natasha Agarwal, who began by sharing books from her own shelves with children who lacked access to them. Today, BelieveNBooks is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit that has provided 250,000 books to 50,000 children, expanding young people’s access to stories, knowledge and opportunity.

The program will provide more than 6,800 young children across eight Florida counties with a book of their own to take home and access to a corresponding read aloud video.

Through partnerships with the Early Learning Coalition of Florida’s Heartland and the Early Learning Coalition o Southwest Florida, more than 150 early learning centers will receive books through the initiative, reachinG Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) students across Collier, Lee, Hendry, Glades, Charlotte, DeSoto, Hardee and Highlands counties. Each participating child will receive a copy of Pete the Cat Too Cool for School, to take homE and keep, along with access to a YouTube read-aloud video of the same book.

 The organization relies on donors, grants and more than 150 community partners to facilitate book distributions. For more information, please visit www.BelieveNBooks.org.