Meet Daily Point of Light Award honoree Dalia Karni. Read her story, and nominate an outstanding volunteer or family as a Daily Point of Light.
Seventeen-year-old Dalia Karni loves to read, so when she recognized that kids in her community lack access to books at home and school, she was concerned. As the daughter of two doctors eyeing a future in the field, it didn’t take long for her to combine her interests to address the issue with The Book Bridge, a literacy initiative centered around a partnership with federally-qualified Legacy Health Clinic’s “Little Readers” program.
Legacy Health provides primary care and support services regardless of a patient’s ability to pay, immigration status, or insurance coverage. These types of clinics are central to the country’s strategy to reduce barriers to health care for underserved communities. Legacy works with Reach Out and Read (ROAR), the nonprofit who started “prescribing” books to children at their yearly checkup.
Dalia solicits and collects books for the program, strengthening children’s literacy and inspiring a love of reading with each of the more than 17,000 books she has acquired since 2024. She’s on track to hit 20,000 by graduation. Bringing her strong Spanish skills from the classroom to the community, Dalia also volunteers at local food distributions with Spanish National Honor Society. She hopes to continue studying the language in college along with public health.
What inspires you to volunteer?
Volunteering makes me feel most like myself. I always feel like I’ve gained more than what I’ve given. And it really makes it fun when I invite friends or family.
What inspired you to get started with this initiative?
My love of reading was key. In 2024, we made my mom a Little Free Library for our yard for her birthday. We quickly realized that the books weren’t getting switched out as much as we’d like them to be.
While we were cleaning one day, I saw the children’s books my younger sister had outgrown that filled our house. I assumed my neighbors had a lot, too.
I did some research and found Legacy Health Clinic, where they offer free books to patients at their yearly checkup. They also have events where they distribute books, because they’re very big on social determinants of health and are trying to solve those, especially in Houston, where the poverty divide is significant.
I reached out to donate, and I really enjoyed it. So, I went to one of their health fairs to give more away. That really made an impression on me, and I learned a lot from the people I was giving them to. That’s when I started collecting books from friends, family members, and neighbors.
Tell us about your volunteer role with the Book Bridge.
I started by reaching out to friends to donate books and solicit donations at their own schools. Three of my volunteers do their own drives, and one even talked her teacher into giving extra credit to students who brought in five or more books. Last year, I partnered with the Houston Public Library Foundation, who donated nearly 300 books.
I work with people and spreadsheets. I oversee book drives and partnerships with schools, nonprofits and libraries. I help host drives at several schools. And I coordinate donations and hand out books at health fairs and school events.
We donate books for ages up to 18 in almost every language, the most common being Spanish and English. People drop them off, or we pick them up. I once took 20 trips to a neighbor’s house to get their donations back to my garage.
We add a Legacy Health sticker to each and put them in cardboard boxes for a volunteer coordinator to take to their warehouse. I’ve also occasionally taken them myself.
Last year, I did a capstone project for a feminist fellowship. My mentor helped me come up with the idea of expanding my initiative using bookmarks, and the program funded printing 400-500 of them.
On the back, there’s information about the literacy crisis with a QR code that leads to an overview of our program and how to get help. It also details how to donate. I distributed them through the Houston Public Library and Little Free Libraries.
What’s been the most rewarding part of your work?
The feeling I get when I get a new book is indescribable. I love knowing each book I give someone gives them the same experience. I’ve reached a lot of people with the books I’ve donated, and that feels really good. I also really enjoy sharing my favorites with kids at events and getting them excited about reading.
What have you learned through your experiences as a volunteer?
I’ve learned about the issues people are facing and get to be a bridge that brings Houston together. It’s hard to believe that a 25-minute drive from my home, people are living in poverty. The facts keep me motivated. For example, one in three 3rd graders in Houston can’t read at their level. It makes me want to educate the community about the problem and how they can help.
Tell us about future partnerships, programs or events that you are excited about.
I’m part of the Mayor’s Youth Council this year. Last year, they asked if I could connect them with Legacy Health, but the partnership ended up not working out due to time constraints. We plan on hosting a book fair together in May.
Why is it important for others to get involved with causes they care about?
Community involvement is an important part of growing up. Regardless of your income, helping others is a rewarding experience. You meet new people. You learn new things. It’s a great way to spend your time.
What do you want people to learn from your story?
You can use something that you enjoy to make a difference in your community. I’m just a teenager, but with the help of friends and my mom’s car–I couldn’t drive in 2024–I’ve done more than I thought I could. Start small. It can make a bigger impact than you’ll ever know.
Do you want to make a difference in your community like Dalia? Find local volunteer opportunities.