Literacy is one of the most important skills a person can have. It sets up kids to be successful in school and later in life.

But for many children, especially those who are homeless, the pandemic has made it very difficult to gain access to books. The Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation, an international nonprofit, is building its involvement in the local community, and a literacy outreach project in West Oahu seemed like a perfect opportunity for the Hawaii chapter’s youth group.

The Tzu Chi Youth Community Service and Leadership Program, an initiative for middle and high school students, had just completed a clothing drive that reached more than 600 homeless children on the Waianae coast. The group members were so inspired by the difference they made that they wanted to do more for the area.

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A book drive to help supply a mobile library seemed like a good follow-up project. The students are working with Wing Kan Hui, a school renewal specialist with the Department of Education’s Nanakuli-Waianae Complex Area, who has been working to improve children’s literacy in West Oahu.

Hui helps run a refurbished school bus — called the Yes Bus — that delivers books free to families living in shelters and on beaches in the area.

The book drive runs through Saturday. Donations may be delivered to the Tzu Chi office, 1238 Wilhelmina Rise in Kaimuki. Drop-off boxes are on the porch for after-hours donations.

Any and all books are being accepted, for all ages, as long as they are in good condition. The aim is to make the collection accessible to anyone who needs it. For information, call 737-8885.

Duke Mobley is a junior at the University Laboratory School and a volunteer with the Tzu Chi Youth Community Service and Leadership Program.