Karma for Cara Foundation awards microgrants to youths 18 years of age and younger who spearhead exceptional service projects in their communities. Meet Reese (17) from San Francisco, CA, who is vice-president of the non-profit Reading Round the Clock. The organization collaborates with 17 clinics and over 30 literacy focused organizations with the overarching goal of educating kids from families that are socioeconomically challenged about the importance of literacy. Besides providing books to read (over 4000 have been donated so far), Reading Round the Clock’s staff tutor several kids and provide various local community resources such as library cards so that kids have a daily supply of books. 

1. What inspired you to start this project? Mallika (the president) and I decided to start Reading Round the Clock as we have always loved to read. We believe that every kid should have access to books on a daily basis, and Reading Round the Clock helps to provide books to kids who come from low socioeconomic backgrounds. Seeing the poverty that was prevalent in our neighborhoods led us to start this project, and we decided to take it upon ourselves to bridge the literacy gap. 
2. Other than you, how many student volunteers participated in your service project?  15
3. How many adult volunteers participated in your service project?  5
4. How many hours did you spend on your project? 250
5. How many hours did other volunteers spend on your project? 20
6. How many individuals were affected by your project?  2000
7. During the time period between when you applied for a K4C microgrant & when you completed the project, what surprised you?  During my time between applying for this project and coming close to completion, I was surprised to see how willing people were to donate books and help Reading Round the Clock. Many of our partners have helped us grow into the non-profit we are today, and I am extremely thankful for this opportunity.
8. Overall what did you learn from this experience? This experience has taught me to be incredibly grateful for all that I have, and this was a truly humbling experience. I have come to realize that compared to hundreds of kids, I have a greater access to books that has shaped me into the person I am today.
9. How will your project continue having an impact in the future?This project will continue to impact kids in the future as Mallika and I will continue to provide books in several clinics and schools both in the Bay Area and internationally. We will continue to work on closing the literacy gap and providing books to kids who need it more as books are crucial in helping kids get ready for school. 
10. How was the K4C microgrant helpful in the completion of your project?  This grant was super helpful in buying books that were both bilingual and only in English, buying bookshelves, and in reaching out to other literacy-focused organizations in the Bay Area and other states.