MESA, Ariz. — Eighteen years, more than one million books, and just one goal: making sure kids have access to books because, as the Valley-based non-profit's name says, "Kids Need To Read."

Kids Need To Read is based out of Mesa, and this year alone, the non-profit has donated 201,915 books and reading resources worth more than $1.4 million to 82,042 children across 22 states, Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico.

"In a nutshell, what Kids Need To Read does is it works with schools, libraries, service organizations—pretty much anybody who serves vulnerable, low-income, at-risk children and wants them to increase their access to books," Executive Director Jessica Payne explains.

Payne became involved with Kids Need To Read while she was also a high school English teacher. She saw firsthand t

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