Looking Back: 2024 In Review
December 20, 2024
United Through Reading turned 35 this year! It’s been an incredible ride, and we’re grateful to each and every funder, partner, donor, and volunteer who has helped us become the leading source for keeping military families connected and reading together.
2024 In Review
When we launched Operation Storytime in April 2023, we announced that we’d reached 3.3 million military family members served. Through the steadfast support of our network, we are on track to reach an extraordinary milestone: 3.7 million family members served by December 31, 2024!
This year, we’ve made incredible strides in strengthening the bonds within military families by:
● Distributing 84,076 books, nurturing a love of reading and learning while ensuring
equitable access to high-quality books for all ages.
● Providing 20,946 literacy guides and resources—such as reading trackers, journals, and activities—that empower families to build daily reading routines and support children’s literacy development.
● Equipping families with the tools, resources, and encouragement to create 3,718 Storytime recordings through our Story Stations and the UTR app, helping them stay connected and resilient during periods of separation.
Book for the Military Child
In conjunction with April’s Month of the Military Child, we announced our Second Annual Book For The Military Child, Ty’s Travels: All Aboard, written by Kelly Starling Lyons and illustrated by Niña Mata. Book For The Military Child’s goal is to bring our military community together with one book every military child can relate to. Ty’s Travels: All Aboard was selected as this year’s book because of its message of optimism and adaptation, which we hope will offer comfort and inspiration during transitions like a Permanent Change of Station (PCS).
We distributed thousands of copies of Ty’s Travel: All Aboard to military children worldwide with the help of partners like the National Military Family Association, Reading Is Fundamental, and the Military Special Operations Family Collaborative. Kelly and Niña were guests on a Season 3 Ready for Reading podcast episode, and Kelly held special meet-and-greets with students.
Partnership with T.A.P.S.
We strengthened our partnership with T.A.P.S. (Tragedy Assistance Program) to support their continued commitment to providing unwavering comfort, care, and resources to those grieving the loss of their loved ones who selflessly served our nation. They helped us curate a list of children’s books to help families choose the right title to support young grieving hearts navigating grief, which we included in our blog post, Five Ways to Use Books To Help Children Navigate Grief and Loss.
Additionally, as part of T.A.P.S. 30th Annual National Military Survivor Seminar and Good Grief Camp in Washington D.C. in February, participating Military and Legacy Mentors and families were provided with information on how children experiencing grief and loss could benefit from someone they love reading aloud to them to help them grapple with difficult emotions and begin a journey to healing. Throughout the weekend, Military and Legacy Mentors were also encouraged to record books for their mentees to help them process their grief and provide an on-demand resource to turn to when they are back home and need extra support.
Finally, for Memorial Day, Bonnie Carrol, Founder and CEO of T.A.P.S., recorded a special Spotlight Story reading of Klinger, a Story of Honor and Hope, based on a real-life horse that served in the Caisson Platoon at Arlington National Cemetery. Similar to our Veterans Day initiative, we invited classrooms to receive the video so educators could share the meaning of Memorial Day with their students. Our classroom outreach is incredibly popular, and we look forward to both programs returning in 2025.
Promoting Literacy During Back-To-School Season
In August, UTR substantially impacted military families by supporting 90 back-to-school events. Partnering with Operation Homefront, UTR provided 9,000 books and 13,000 literacy guides at 60 events nationwide while directly distributing over 4,000 additional books at various local events.
Additionally, in partnership with the Dollar General Literacy Foundation, we distributed 1,500 backpacks filled with educational materials to children at seven military installations nationwide. Each backpack included age-appropriate school supplies, two books, and a literacy guide. These backpacks are more than just supplies—they are tools to help children start the school year with confidence and the resources needed to succeed.
These efforts specifically address the educational challenges children in military families face, such as frequent relocations and school disruptions. UTR promotes a love of reading by including books and literacy guides in backpacks and ensures access to high-quality literature that supports academic achievement. This initiative also equipped parents with valuable resources to support their children’s education amidst the unique challenges of military life. Receiving a book of their own brought joy to many children, offering them a sense of ownership and the tools to thrive academically.
Expanding Community Partnerships
We made a concerted effort to expand our reach through vital community partnerships with organizations such as Operation Homefront, Blue Star Families, Armed Services YMCA (ASYMCA), Operation Gratitude, Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society: Budget for Baby class, Support The Enlisted (STEP), Marine Corps Community Services New Parent Support Program, Exceptional Family Member Program, and Foundation 4 Women Warriors. These partnerships, along with the onboarding of new volunteers, enhanced our capacity to serve military families.
During a two-day event at the San Diego Air & Space Museum this past September, UTR joined forces with Operation Gratitude and more than 200 volunteers to assemble 5,000 care packages for every USS George Washington crew member! These partnerships enhance both organizations’ abilities to serve service members and their families who selflessly dedicate themselves to our nation.
Each month, in partnership with the Armed Services YMCA (ASYMCA) Bundle for Babies and Operation Homefront’s Operation Shower, UTR provided baby books to support military families with newborns. These events focus on service members ranked E6 and below, offering resources to parents in their third trimester or with babies under three months old. Through these partnerships, UTR is helping military families build early literacy and bonding experiences as they welcome their new arrivals. These books support early literacy and bonds for military families, providing resources that encourage language development and a love for literacy from the very start. For many of these families facing financial and geographical challenges, these showers deliver more than essentials- they provide connection, stability, and tools that foster lifelong learning.
Readers Digest Foundation Gives Back
This year’s Storybook 35 was a smaller, more intimate affair at The Abbey on Fifth near San Diego’s historic Balboa Park. Our annual celebration of military families was a great success, in part due to our dynamic speakers: Vice Admiral Daniel Cheevers, author Kelly Starling Lyons, military spouse Erin Crew, the Holian family, and Bonnie Kintzer, CEO and Chairwoman of Trusted Media Brands. Bonnie spoke on behalf of our Five Star Partner, Readers Digest Foundation. She stunned the audience when she announced that, though the Foundation’s fund is closing, Reader’s Digest Foundation awarded United Through Reading all the remaining funds for a total of $1 million!
We look forward to a strong start to 2025 and continuing to be a trusted, go-to resource for keeping military families’ bonds strong, no matter the distance.
