| Things We Read | |
| Formation: | 2011[1] |
| Type: | 501(C)(3) corporation |
| Purpose: | Literary services, military services |
| Leader Title: | Co-founders |
| Leader Name: | Chris Molaro, Garrison Haning |
| Website: | http://www.thingsweread.org/ |
Things We Read (TWR) was a charity and military service organization that promoted reading by collecting book recommendations from influential citizens and donating books to members of the armed forces and local communities. It operated as a nonprofit 501(C)(3) organization.[2]
Things We Read was started in 2011 by two US Army officers serving in Iraq during Operation New Dawn. Co-founders Chris Molaro and Garrison Haning wanted to establish constructive ways for soldiers to spend their free time. During deployment, they noticed that too many soldiers occupied their off-time by playing video games. Soldiers weren't taking productive breaks from the stresses of war. The two officers started collecting book lists from respected leaders in their unit to distribute to soldiers.
When Molaro and Haning returned from Iraq, they decided to form a non-profit that would leverage the power of book recommendations to inspire soldiers to read. Things We Read collects and aggregates book recommendations from military commanders, business leaders, politicians, musicians, athletes, actors, and authors. The organization donates books from its reading lists to soldiers and local communities.[3]