Rithisha Pasunoori set out to collect 500 books. Two years later, the Northville High School rising senior has donated more than 5,300 to Birdie's Bookmobile, a Detroit nonprofit that puts free books into the hands of children in neighborhoods where they're hardest to find.
Pasunoori started the drive during her sophomore year, reaching out to literacy organizations online until Birdie's Bookmobile responded and gave her permission to use its name. She then built a network of partners across Northville: elementary and middle schools, local businesses, churches, the Northville Chamber of Commerce, and fellow students at Northville High School, according to the Detroit Free Press.
Her father, Laxma Pasunoori, drove her around town after school to pick up books from drop-off sites. During the second year, her friend Kaitlyn Wehrly volunteered her family's home as a storage space for the growing collection.
When Birdie's Bookmobile founder Alyce Hartman arrived to pick up the first batch, the books were stacked nearly to the ceiling, organized by category, Hartman told the Free Press on July 14.
"When I began, I was like: 'Let's hit 500 books.' So what I feel now is amazing," Pasunoori told the Free Press on July 19. "It's a real tangible way to measure success."
Hartman founded Birdie's Bookmobile in 2022 to fight what the organization calls "book deserts," neighborhoods where homes are likely to have fewer than 100 books. The nonprofit has distributed more than 250,000 books to children and families across Metro Detroit, installed 20 Little Free Libraries in nine Detroit zip codes, and donated 30,000 new books to Detroit Public Schools Community District for the 2024-2025 school year, according to the Free Press.
The nonprofit has faced setbacks. One bus was destroyed in a fire. A second was stolen. Arts & Scraps, another Detroit nonprofit, donated a third bus that Hartman plans to put into service once she raises enough money to decorate its exterior.
Pasunoori and Wehrly have also launched a GoFundMe campaign with a $6,000 goal to support Birdie's Bookmobile programming. The campaign is ongoing. More information about donating books or funds is available at birdiesbookmobile.org.
Pasunoori told the Free Press she is leaning toward studying finance or business in college but plans to stay involved in community service.
Upcoming community events
- Wednesday, July 22 — Northville Farmers Market, 8 a.m., Northville Chamber of Commerce, 195 S. Main St.
- Saturday, July 25 — Northville Parks & Recreation Rally for Rec Pickleball Carnival, 2 p.m., Northville
- Tuesday, July 28 — Coffee with Council, 10 a.m., Sweet Brew Cafe, Northville
