Assistance League of Downey launches literacy week with book giveaways

From left: Sandra Rehberg, Meghan Urena, Analiah Vallin, Natalie Meza and Jazmine Thies.

DOWNEY – The Assistance League of Downey kicked off its ACTION! Week activities during Downey’s Christmas Tree Lighting at the Downey Civic Center and The Apollo Lighting event at the Downey Space Museum, distributing more than 300 books to children attending the events.

ACTION! Week is a national initiative of Assistance League chapters focused on promoting childhood literacy by placing books directly into the hands of young readers. The program evolved from earlier national efforts that began in 2012 as part of USA Today Weekend Magazine’s Make a Difference Day, when Assistance League chapters across the country held book drives to support children who lacked access to reading materials. That five-year effort resulted in the collection and distribution of more than 500,000 books nationwide.

Building on that success, Assistance League introduced its own literacy-focused events, including “Legacy of Literacy,” before ultimately establishing ACTION! Week as a unified, chapter-led initiative. The week is held annually during the last week of February to coincide with the Feb. 25 birthday of Assistance League founder Anne Banning. The goal is to highlight the collective impact of the organization’s more than 120 chapters nationwide while encouraging reading and academic success among youth.

Local chapters are given flexibility in planning their activities, provided the events raise awareness of the importance of childhood literacy and take place during the designated week.

The Assistance League of Downey’s next ACTION! Week event is scheduled for Feb. 28, 2026, during the TLC 5K at Apollo Park.

Additional activities planned in Downey include Story Time at the library, assistance with organizing the library at Gallatin School, and participation in Family Night at the Downey Library. Members of the organization’s Assisteens program will take part by helping with face painting, distributing bookmarks, and supporting other literacy-related activities.

The Assistance League of Downey encourages community members to attend and support these events as part of its ongoing efforts to strengthen literacy and community engagement.