Friday Reading for Good 2026

Last summer it was fun (and a bit stressful, wink) to read for good! Let’s do it again this summer. All the clapping! Sadly, only three charities were nominated. But the good news is that we will be reading for four wonderful causes this summer. In January we missed our goal of reading for international students, so they will have a second chance! We can do it for them .

The plan is to read the second and fourth Friday in June and July.

Here are the parameters:

—You read your Friday, whenever that is, don’t let time zones stress you out
—Each person can donate 30 minutes (kids warmly welcome)
—We need to reach our goal by 5 p.m. Mountain Time (Colorado, USA)

How to participate:

Read 30 minutes on a Friday and either tag, DM, or email me (messymiddle@gmail.com). I’ll share on Instagram, as we participate in the joy of seeing the goal reached!

If we make our goal, $250 will be donated.

Disclaimer: I’ve had a stern chat with myself because I can’t bear to think of any of the following nonprofits missing out on us reading for them. But, if we collectively don’t make the goal of 10 hours (that’s 20 people), they will not receive a donation. You are needed . Let’s read for fun and for good!

Here are the Four Fridays and Nonprofits:

June 12—Jenga Community Development (Uganda): We started life in 2005, when a man from North London and a man from Mbale came together with nothing but a desire to build a better life for people in this part of the world. Our name means “to build” in Swahili and that’s what we continue to do today.

JENGA works on many projects within Uganda from Children, Community Women’s Groups, Education, Health programmes and many more. (I loved reading through the projects here.)

June 26—Lasagna Love (Regional coordinators around the U.S., also in Australia and the UK): Through our neighbor-to-neighbor movement, we connect volunteer lasagna chefs who want to help with individuals and families in need, providing home-cooked lasagnas made with love.

We focus on removing barriers to asking for help, ensuring dignity and support, and delivering kindness without judgment or qualifications. Whether someone is facing financial challenges, emotional overwhelm, medical issues, or any other hardship, Lasagna Love strives to provide relief, hope, and connection through the simple yet profound gesture of a warm meal.

July 10—Effect Hope (based in Canada, serving people around the World): 1.5 billion people are affected by NTDs (Neglected Tropical Diseases) worldwide. This means 1 in 8 people globally are suffering from diseases most of the world has forgotten—diseases that are preventable, treatable, and often curable.

I love this from the website: “mobilizing Canadian support for global health and pioneering evidence-based models that advance dignity, inclusion, and equity for vulnerable communities worldwide.”

July 24—International Students (Boulder, CO): My friend Melanie works with International Students and the University of Colorado and is exactly the kind of person you want in that role! She grew up in Indonesia, loves the Denver Broncos (clear sign of superior intelligence and compassion!), and is so kind. We missed out on blessing her and her ministry work in January, we won’t miss again :)!!!

You can find the specifics about the Summer Reading Challenge here. Happy Reading! I look forward to Friday Reading for Good, sharing what I’m reading and seeing what you’re reading .

Amy