TMHS Students Launch 'Breaking Barriers Through Books' Drive, Donating Nearly 7,000 Books to Underserved Houston Children
What began as a student-led initiative at Tomball Memorial High School (TMHS) has blossomed into a district-wide movement to promote literacy and service, uniting 13 Tomball ISD campuses to collect nearly 7,000 books for underserved children in the Houston area. Under the banner “Breaking Barriers through Books,” the campaign was spearheaded by members of the TMHS UNICEF chapter, who sought to make a local impact aligned with UNICEF’s Global Goal #4: Quality Education.
The initiative, rooted in the student organization’s mission to advocate for child welfare and education, saw overwhelming support from school librarians, students, parents, and faculty across the district.
“Our goal was to help close the literacy gap in Houston,” said the TMHS student leaders. Their effort led to the selection of Books Between Kids, a local nonprofit committed to putting books into the hands of economically disadvantaged children, as the beneficiary of the donations.
Student Leadership and Planning Behind the Drive
The initiative was led by a team of passionate high school students:
- President & Founder: Sadhvi Reddy (12th)
- Vice President: Tanisi Mehta (11th)
- Secretary: Quang Doan (12th)
- Event Directors: Kaitlin Valino (12th), Alan Brosnan (12th)
- Communications Officer: Jessica Ho (12th)
- Graphic Designer: Lydia Tu (12th)
To turn the idea into action, the group developed a clear promotional strategy. “We used the school librarians as our main contact point for each student,” they explained. “Each librarian was extremely supportive in helping us achieve our broader goal. Their enthusiasm was a supplement to our success, as they understood and aligned with the objective of the 'Breaking Barriers with Books' drive.”
The students created flyers, subcommittees, and even a presentation video shown during a district librarian meeting, further spreading awareness and securing participation across the district.
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A Collective District Effort
The response from the Tomball ISD community was remarkable. In total, 13 campuses participated in the drive, contributing the following donation totals:
- Tomball Memorial High School: 964
- Northpointe Intermediate: 1,441
- Oakcrest Intermediate: 1,572
- Willow Creek Elementary: 800
- Canyon Pointe Elementary: 598
- Creekside Park Junior High: 476
- Decker Prairie Elementary: 243
- Creekview Elementary: 194
- Tomball Elementary: 178
- Wildwood Elementary: 345
- Grand Lakes Junior High: 107
- Willow Wood Junior High: 52
- Rosehill Elementary: 12
While the collection effort was a success, organizing such a large donation came with its challenges. “A challenge that we met was counting all the books and picking them up from the schools,” the students shared. “There was an astonishing amount of books, and we had to organize all of them into several cars. We split into groups and spent an afternoon dedicated to organizing the books and sorting them by school before delivering them.”
Despite the logistical demands, the student leaders never lost sight of their goal: to provide access to literacy and learning resources for children in need. “Through this experience, we learned how great of an impact reading has on a child’s learning as it helps broaden their perspective and grow their creativity. With every book we donated, a child was able to increase their literacy and their knowledge.”
Inspiring Others Through Service
One of the most meaningful outcomes for the student organizers was the way their effort resonated with their peers across the district. “When picking up books, we had a compelling conversation with several intermediate school students about the drive and its impacts,” the TMHS UNICEF leaders recalled. “The students were interactive and enthusiastic. It reminded us that we were part of a community that wants to help one another. Participating in community service is a bridge to champions of change.”
The TMHS UNICEF chapter was founded three years ago to reflect UNICEF USA’s mission of supporting the rights and needs of children worldwide. The group has hosted events that promote advocacy and awareness on child-focused issues, including speaking engagements and debates on topics such as resource allocation and children’s rights.
With the success of this year’s district-wide book drive, the chapter already has plans to expand their impact further. “We plan to continue our book drive annually and even begin a Crayon drive next year,” the students added.
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Building Literacy and Community Across Tomball ISD
The Breaking Barriers through Books drive not only distributed nearly 7,000 books to underserved children in Houston—it also empowered the student leaders and the greater Tomball ISD community to see the power of grassroots action.
What started as a simple idea has become a testament to the power of student-driven service, emphasizing the importance of literacy as a tool for learning, creativity, and opportunity. Through their passion and hard work, TMHS students have created a movement that will continue to inspire for years to come.
Tiffany Krenek has been on the My Neighborhood News team since August 2021. She is passionate about curating and sharing content that enriches the lives of our readers in a personal, meaningful way. A loving mother and wife, Tiffany and her family live in the West Houston/Cypress region.
