From Coffee to Chapters: How We Are Helping Indy Kids Turn the Page
Next time you grab your morning brew at Rivet Coffee Bar in Westfield, you can do a lot more than just fuel your day. You can pass the joy of reading along to a child who needs it most.
Unfortunately, many families face “book deserts”—neighborhoods where studies show there can be fewer than one book available for every 300 children.
Helping Ninjas is running a community book drive from now until October 1st to collect books for a local non-profit: the Indy Book Project who has successfully put over 406,000 books directly into the hands of local kids!
“Books give kids a chance to explore a world beyond their own. ” Leo Berry, Founder of Helping Ninjas
“Helping Ninjas proudly supports Indy Book Project,” says Leo Berry, President and Founder of Helping Ninjas. “We want to help them reach their next big milestone.”
The Indy Book Project is a grassroots literary non-profit based right here in Central Indiana. Their core conviction is simple: all children deserve to have books in their homes. While libraries are wonderful, book ownership is a key factor in a child’s long-term educational success.
Indy Book Project even hosts book give-a-ways at public community events, like local farmers markets and parks, giving children the rare opportunity to browse the shelves and pick out a book of their choice entirely for free.
“Books are the foundation of knowledge and the future generation, but are missing in some children’s lives. ” – Sidd Sharma, Helping Ninjas Leader
“Books are a vastly important part in the academic journey of young minds, and we wanna make sure everyone has the opportunity to connect with literature.” – Benny Winger, Helping Ninjas Leader
“Books give children interaction with learning in a way that they cannot get from screens or technology. Books provide a multi-sensory experience and allows children to gain a real connection with what they are learning, and a deeper comprehension.” – Brady Bales, Helping Ninjas Leader
“Reading today, builds thinkers, dreamers, and leaders of tomorrow. ” – Leo Berry, Founder and President, Helping Ninjas
Helping Ninjas will have a bin at Rivet Coffee who is hosting a bin, so you can easily stop by and drop off your donations.
📍Where & When to Donate
📍 Helping Ninjas has placed a white collection bin directly inside Rivet Coffee Bar & Roastery in Westfield.
Feel free to bring your book donations and drop them in during normal operating hours:
- Location: Rivet Coffee Bar (Westfield, IN)
- Hours: Monday–Saturday: 7 AM – 3 PM | Sunday: 8 AM – 3 PM
- Timeline: From now through October 1st, 2026
📚 Donation Guidelines: What to Bring
Accepted Items
- Ages 0–18: Reading material specific to babies, toddlers, children, and teenagers.
- Bilingual/Spanish: Books written entirely in Spanish or side-by-side bilingual editions.
- High Priority Needs: Toddler board books, colorful picture books, graphic novels, and popular manga series.
- Condition: Brand new or gently loved books that are clean and in good shape.
❌ Items Except (Do Not Bring)
- Academic/Reference: Old textbooks, encyclopedias, or study reference guides.
- Activity Materials: Used or new coloring books, sticker pads, or puzzle workbooks.
- Holiday/Religious: Books focused heavily on specific holiday celebrations or strong religious themes.
- Poor Condition: Anything with heavy wear, torn pages, water damage, stains, or markings.
- Adult Materials: Adult fiction, thrillers, non-fiction biographies, or general adult literature.
How to Donate Online
🤳 Spread the Word!
If your home bookshelves are already empty, you can still be a huge part of this drive:
- Post a Photo: Next time you grab a drink at Rivet Coffee, snap a quick photo of the white donation bin and share it to your social media stories! Tag @indybookproject and @rivetcoffee to point your friends in the right direction.
- Scan to Learn: Look for the QR code. You can scan it with your smartphone camera to read more about their community impact stories or to review their volunteer guidelines online.
🤝 Hands-On Volunteering: Help Us Sort!
Donating books is just the first step! Once the collection bins are full, the Indy Book Project relies heavily on community members to help review, clean, and organize the donations into age groups so they can be delivered to families quickly.
If you want to roll up your sleeves and get involved with the hands-on process, your time would make a massive difference.
👉 Sign up here if you want to help with books sorting!
What is the Indy Book Project? If you aren’t familiar with their work and why their mission matters so much, and exactly how you can get involved: Indy Book Project
Indy Book Project acts as a local resource hub, and do the following:
Community Collection: They gather new and gently used books donated by neighbors like you.
Volunteers at Work: Dedicated local volunteers manually sort, age-categorize, and clean every piece.
Targeted Distribution: They box up the books and give them directly to local teachers, schools, community centers, food pantries, and youth-serving organizations.
What is the Indy Book Project? If you aren’t familiar with their work and why their mission matters so much, and exactly how you can get involved: Indy Book Project
