Mighty Writers

Mighty Writers is headed to the Free Library!

This fall, we’re bringing Mighty programming into the community with a series of FREE workshops at Free Library of Philadelphia locations—and you don’t have to be a current Mighty Writers student to join us.

Children, teens and families are invited to write, create, explore music, talk sports, build community and, most importantly, have some Mighty fun.

From Mighty Explorers and Mighty Toddlers to Mighty Music Production, Family Write Night, Sportswriting, Mighty Brotherhood and more, there’s something for different ages and interests.

These workshops are open to the public. So bring your family, tell a friend, and come write with us.

📍 See the flyer for dates, times and participating Free Library locations.

We’re excited to see you there!

Friday is here, and we promised to bring you along as Mighty Writers rebuilds.

So, what moved forward this week?

In Atlantic City and Camden, food distribution is happening two days a week, helping us continue reaching families while we work to restore more of our services.

And at Ablett Village, young people returned to Mighty Writers programming as scheduled.

With the support of community partners and corporate sponsorship, our after-school Academy is back in session.

There are people behind every one of these updates.

This week, we especially want to recognize Derrick Gallashaw, Chief Strategy Officer, and Andre Blakney, Regional Director of Distribution, along with members of our transition team who have continued working to keep essential services moving during this period.

And there are partners behind this progress, too—from volunteers and corporate sponsors to funders and community organizations choosing to stand with Mighty Writers when their support matters most.

This is what rebuilding looks like right now.

Not everything returning at once, but one service, one program, one partnership and one community at a time.

And we're not done.

More staff are scheduled to return in Camden on September 21st, with programming at our main Camden location scheduled to resume September 28th. Food distribution at our Kennett Square location will resume September 23rd from 3-6pm and every Wednesday thereafter. We’re also preparing for On the Road programming in October, and we'll have more to share about that soon.

For now, thank you for staying with us, sharing our story and believing there are more chapters ahead for Mighty Writers.

This week, we moved forward. Next week, we keep going.

Stand with us as we work to restore Mighty Writers across all of our communities:
https://donorbox.org/we-need-your-support-help-us-resume-programming-distribution

For 18 years, Mighty Writers has shown up for young people, families and communities.

Today, we want to share directly with you where we are, and where we’re going.

Earlier this month, we made the difficult decision to temporarily furlough most of our staff and pause much of our programming and services while addressing an immediate financial challenge.

Since then, we have been working.

Over the past two weeks, we have been in active conversations with donors, funders, elected officials, community partners and longtime supporters to identify immediate solutions while building a more sustainable path forward for Mighty Writers.

We have also begun working with the Nonprofit Finance Fund on a financial continuity and sustainability plan to help strengthen the organization for the future.

And we are beginning to see progress.

Food distribution is continuing in several of our communities with the support of our transition team, volunteers and partners.

On September 14th, youth programming resumed as scheduled at Ablett Village in Camden with the support of our community partners. Students are participating in our after-school Academy Monday through Thursday with food distribution on Fridays.

On September 21st, staff at our main Camden location are scheduled to return, with food distribution resuming that same day. Programming at the location is scheduled to return September 28th.

Food distribution at our Kennett Square location will resume September 23rd from 3-6pm and every Wednesday thereafter with the support of Chester County Food Bank volunteers and members of our transition team.

These may look like dates on a calendar.

To us, they represent people coming back to work, young people returning to programming, families regaining access to services, and Mighty Writers taking another step forward.

There is still a great deal of work ahead. Not every program has returned. Not every member of our team is back. And we still need the support of the community that has stood with Mighty Writers for the past 18 years.

But we want to be clear about one thing:

Mighty Writers is not closing.

We are rebuilding.

Over the coming weeks, you’ll hear directly from us as we share what is returning, what is happening behind the scenes, the people and partners helping us move forward, and what we still need to restore Mighty Writers across all of our communities.

This is not where our story ends.

If you believe in what Mighty Writers means to our young people and families, there is a place for you in what comes next. Donate. Advocate. Make an introduction. Share our story. Stand with us.

We have more young people to reach, more families to serve and a whole lot more Mighty writing to do.

Support Mighty Writers: https://donorbox.org/we-need-your-support-help-us-resume-programming-distribution

We Need Your Support! Re-Open Mighty Writers' Doors! | MIGHTY WRITERS (Powered by Donorbox) Mighty Writers has been a community anchor in Philadelphia, Camden, Kennett Square, and Atlantic City for 18 years. We are committed to supporting our youth, their families, and every single person whose life is positively impacted through our lit...

Today, we remember Dolly Parton not only for the music she gave the world, but for the millions of young readers she believed in.

Long before literacy became part of how many people knew her legacy, Dolly understood something we see every day at Mighty Writers: access to books can change what a child believes is possible.

Inspired by her father, who never had the opportunity to learn to read and write, she launched Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library in 1995 with a simple idea, put books directly into the hands and homes of children. That idea grew far beyond her hometown, reaching children and families around the world.

That is the thing about literacy. One book can become a favorite story. A favorite story can create a reader. And a reader can begin to imagine a future they had never considered before.

Dolly Parton spent decades helping make that first book, and the many that followed, possible for millions of children.

At Mighty Writers, where we work every day to help young people find their voices, strengthen their skills, and see bigger possibilities for themselves, we honor a fellow champion for literacy whose impact will continue every time a child opens a book.

Rest well, Dolly. Your legacy is still being read.💛

Summer camp is about so much more than keeping kids busy while school is out.💛

This summer, our campers learned, laughed, explored, created, built friendships and made memories that will last far beyond the final day of camp.

Through engaging literacy experiences, hands-on activities, new adventures, and time spent simply having FUN, our young people had opportunities to grow academically, socially, and personally.

They strengthened their skills, discovered new interests, built meaningful relationships with their peers and experienced the joy that comes from learning in a community where they feel supported and encouraged.

And none of it happens alone.

We are incredibly grateful to our partners who opened their doors, our funders who invested in our young people, our families who trusted us with their children and our dedicated staff who showed up every day ready to teach, encourage, inspire and create moments that matter.

Your support helped turn summer days into opportunities for learning, connection, confidence, discovery and joy.

As we look back at these photos, we don’t just see summer camp.

We see friendships formed. We see confidence growing. We see learning happening. We see joy. We see community. And most importantly, we see young people thriving. ❤

Thank you to everyone who helped make summer 2026 at Mighty Writers one to remember.

🎨Last week, we experienced something truly special! Our partner organization, Writers Matter, revealed a stunning art installation featuring a poem titled “Dreamers” by Andre Saunders at our Germantown location.

We're honored and thrilled to host this incredible project. Thank you, Andre and Writers Matter, for your dedication!

🌻 SPRING into action and help open new worlds for our kids!

Last week, we shared our big goal for the year: taking Mighty Writers students global.

Global might sound like crossing oceans, but for many of our kids, it looks much closer to home. It means stepping into new zip codes, exploring unfamiliar neighborhoods, and experiencing parts of their own city they’ve never had access to before.

Because when young people are exposed to new places and possibilities, something powerful happens. Their worlds expand. Their confidence grows. And they begin to imagine futures they may have never seen for themselves.

Think back to a trip you took when you were younger, maybe with your family, your friends, or even a school field trip. Do you remember the excitement leading up to it? Picking out your favorite outfit the night before, barely able to sleep because you couldn’t wait for the next day to come.

And then morning arrives.

The air is cool, the grass still damp with dew, and there’s this quiet buzz all around you. Laughter, chatter, backpacks slung over shoulders, everyone carrying the same sense of anticipation. Even the simple act of getting on the bus felt special, like you were heading toward something bigger than your everyday routine.

Those moments stay with us. And for many young people, they’re more than just a trip, they’re a chance to explore, to imagine, and to experience something new.

That feeling of joy and excitement, no matter how small - is exactly what we hope to give to our kids here at Mighty Writers.

With your generous support, we can make that happen!

Here’s how your support makes that possible:

$50 covers transportation for one student
$100 supports admission and materials
$250 funds a full experiential trip
$500+ expands access for an entire group

With your support, we can open doors, spark curiosity, and create moments our students will carry with them for a lifetime.

MW.

Donate Today! https://donorbox.org/mw-spring-appeal

🎨🖌️ Sunday scaries aren’t a thing with us! Today we got to spend some time with our partners, Create 48 as we hosted an adult art workshop in our Atlantic City location.

Participants not only got to create and take home their very own custom artwork, but enjoyed a space of creativity, meditation, relaxation and all around good vibes.

What a good way to spend a fantastic Sunday. Thanks Create 48!