Helping kids grow up healthy and with opportunities to pursue their dreams.
Over the years we have sponsored a redwood grove, cleaned up beaches, planted gardens, taken local students on field trips and funded scholarships for kids to try theater, swimming and art. However, we are best known for our literacy programs, which will be our sole focus in 2023-2024. We work with 17 public schools in the Santa Cruz County area, letting every student choose a book they love. We also give more than 10,000 books a year in community outreach, at places like the Watsonville Farmer’s Market, CASA, and the Little Free Libraries we’ve placed throughout the county.
Everyone loves a bookmobile! That’s why our literacy foundation is teaming up with the public Watsonville Charter School of the Arts to convert a commercial step-van to a beautiful mobile library. Live Like Coco’s volunteers will use it as an inviting outreach and delivery vehicle during summers and weekends, while the charter school — which currently does not have its own library — will access it during the school year to get books to its students. While it will only hold 1,000 – 2,000 books, it will allow the school to link up with the district library system. Live Like Coco’s team will work with graduating 8th graders from the arts school to design a distinct wrap for the vehicle.
Mintie White students love picking out their own books. The quality and diversity of Live Like Coco's books helps our kids really understand that they are getting a gift.
Karin Wanless, Reading Specialist, Mintie White Elementary
