Patrick and Jack Meaney, two brothers from La Jolla High School, believed that the key to successful reading skills lay in the availability of books. With the support of their parents, Mike and Terry Meaney, they founded the San Diego Book Project (SDBP) in 2003 with a simple yet powerful mission: to provide free books to those who would otherwise lack access to them. Beginning with donations to a local inner-city elementary school, SDBP has since grown significantly. Over the years, we have donated books to individuals, schools, communities, non-profits, hospitals, prisons, and community centers, reaching even those in need beyond U.S. borders. While the COVID-19 pandemic closed our warehouse doors, our commitment to promoting literacy never wavered and we continued to donate books to those in need. 

Libros Sin Fronteras (LSF) was started by Sydney Mafong in 2022 with clear goals: to promote literacy by providing free books and organizing engaging reading and writing programs for those who lack access. With the support of the SDBP, LSF has donated thousands of books to underserved students in the Southeast San Diego, Julian, and Moreno Valley school districts, as well as to the Chicano Federation, orphanages in Tijuana, and READ San Diego’s intergenerational literacy program. LSF also launched  reading initiatives, providing elementary students with free books and incentives to stay engaged with reading.

Now, under the direction of Sydney Mafong, SDBP and LSF are working to continue the mission of providing essential access to books and literacy programs for underserved communities.  In low income households, nearly two-thirds of children have no books at home. With an estimated 54% of Americans reading below a sixth-grade level, our work is more important than ever. From our humble beginnings of donating books to one teacher in one classroom, we have now partnered with over 150 organizations and schools and continue to grow.