United Way to pack 35,000 books for kids at annual Big Book Drop

Who: United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania staff and volunteers; Wendy Koch, senior director of regional engagement, United Way; and Maria Blohm, partner, KPMG.

What: United Way will host its seventh annual Big Book Drop on April 15, 16 and 17 at Acrisure Stadium. Volunteers with KPMG and other corporate and community volunteers will work in shifts to pack approximately 35,000 books for distribution to kids across United Way’s five-county region. On Tuesday, teams of volunteers will sort and pack children’s books focused on inclusion, STEAM topics, popular characters and communication and problem solving. On Wednesday, representatives from about 100 United Way partner agencies will collect the books for distribution to kids across the community.

When: Media are invited to attend on Wednesday, April 16, 2025, from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m.

Where: The Great Hall at Acrisure Stadium, 100 Art Rooney Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15212. Enter through Gate B.

Why: Reading is one of the most effective ways to support early brain development and improve school readiness in children. United Way is committed to expanding early literacy so that children from every zip code are set up for success. In 2023 alone, United Way invested $1.5 million in 30 agencies working to level the playing field for students from pre-K to high school and beyond.

Since 2019, United Way has distributed nearly 179,000 books through the annual Big Book Drop and this year expects that total to exceed 214,000. A high-energy, joyful event, Big Book Drop connects community and corporate volunteers with partner agencies to get enriching books to children across our region.