About Us

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The Neighborhood Book Peddler was created with a simple but powerful mission: to make books free and accessible to everyone. We believe that stories are more than entertainment—they are lifelines, teachers, healers, and bridges between people. Through carefully curated collections, we bring literature directly into the heart of the community, fostering connection, cultural exchange, and personal growth.

Our inaugural project is the Book Tricycle, a custom-built mobile book cart designed to distribute free books in neighborhoods, markets, and community spaces. This first cart will carry a starting collection of over 300 books, intentionally selected to reflect a wide range of voices, genres, and experiences. It is our way of sparking joy in unexpected places while removing barriers that often stand between people and the stories that could shape them.

This mission is deeply personal to me. Growing up, books were rare treasures. The nearest library was often towns away, and each book I managed to find felt like a doorway into another world. Those experiences instilled in me a reverence for storytelling and a deep awareness of how limited access can silence curiosity and imagination.

Nearly a decade ago, I moved to New Orleans to pursue life as a full-time musician. Storytelling has always been at the heart of my artistry, woven into every lyric, every performance, every exchange with an audience. The Neighborhood Book Peddler is a natural extension of that same passion—the belief that stories connect us, heal us, and help us grow together.

Our Inaugural Objectives

• Launch the Book Tricycle in its first year, bringing free books to community events, schools, and gathering spaces across New Orleans.

• Build a starting library of 500+ books that represents diverse voices and perspectives, available to readers of all ages.

• Engage volunteers and community partners to help distribute books and spread awareness.

• Host our first community events where books are paired with music, storytelling, and conversation to create deeper connections.

Our Long-Term Goals

• Expand our fleet of book tricycles and carts to reach more neighborhoods across the city.

• Develop partnerships with schools, shelters, and cultural organizations to ensure books reach those who need them most.

• Grow into a sustainable nonprofit with the capacity to provide thousands of free books each year.

• Build a community hub where storytelling, literacy, and cultural programming can thrive together under one roof.

• Inspire replication of the Neighborhood Book Peddler model in other cities, sparking a larger movement of free, community-driven access to books.

Why It Matters

Access to books is access to opportunity. In too many communities, literature is treated as a privilege rather than a right. Yet studies show that simply having books at home greatly increases a child’s chances of academic success, emotional resilience, and long-term growth. For adults, reading offers both critical thinking skills and a sense of belonging—windows into other lives, perspectives, and possibilities.

The Neighborhood Book Peddler was born out of the belief that no one should have to travel miles or pay a price to experience the power of a story. By making books free, visible, and joyfully accessible, we aim to build stronger, more connected communities—one story at a time.