My mission is to donate ereaders (Kindles, Nooks, iPads, etc) to hospitals or affiliated places (like Ronald McDonald houses) who are in need. These days, many patients bring their own devices, and the need for physical devices is not as great as it once was, but there is still a need in some places.

I have given away thousands of free ebooks to those suffering from hardship. Based on reader’s responses from around the world, I have come to learn that many of those suffering have one thing in common: many have a chronic or terminal medical condition, confined to hospitals or rehab centers for weeks or months at a time. I have received countless emails detailing inconceivable hardship, and I have come to learn of the great need and I have come to realize that escaping into a great book can sometimes be the only solace for patients. Some have reported that reading is all they have left to live for, and that it gives them strength to fight. I have learned firsthand about the unintended power of entertainment.

If I receive a request from a hospital to donate an ereading devices, I buy them on Ebay and ship them to the hospitals. Hospitals have been thrilled to receive them and the feedback has been excellent. I am not a 501-c-3 and I do not accept donations, financial or ereaders. I am just buying the ereaders on ebay and paying out of pocket myself. If you like the idea, you can do the same–reach out to any hospital you know and ask if they need it, and if so, find one on ebay that meets their requirements, and have it shipped to them. There are other ways, too. You can, for example, run a local used tablet drive, gather them, and ship them to hospitals. If you do so, make sure you wipe them clean first and that the requirements meet the hospitals. If a hospital is not receptive, I have found that many Ronald McDonald houses are. Some have a need; others don’t.

Another option is to reach out to large etailers like Amazon to ask if they would like to donate older ereaders in bulk and see if you can arrange a shipment to a hospital(s) in need. I have tried this in the past (without success) but you can always try again. I was able to buy dozens of ereaders from an etailer at a discounted price many years ago, but that was a one-time purchase.

If you are an author, I would encourage you to post on social media and to your fans offering free ebooks to anyone suffering from hardship. You will be surprised at the responses you receive. All it takes is a few clicks, and you can make a big difference in someone’s life.

If you are a hospital, or a patient, and you want us to buy you a used ereader, please contact me. noah(AT)lukeman.com

“I think this Kobo ereader is cool. I like checking out how many books I can read for free.”
–Colby (patient), 12 years old, Norfolk, VA

Ronald McDonald houses shipped to in December, 2021 (150 ereaders):

Ronald McDonald House of the Piedmont Triad

Winston Salem, NC

University of Chicago Comer Ronald McDonald House

Chicago, IL

RMHC Charleston, SC

Charleston, SC

Vidant Medical Center

Greenville, NC

VCU Health

Richmond, VA

Ronald McDonald House Charities Norfolk

Chespeake, VA

Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central PA

Hershey, PA

Nationwide Children’s RMHC

Columbus, OH

Seattle Ronald McDonald House

Seattle, WA

Akron Children’s Hospital

Akron, OH

Ronald McDonald House Charities of Madison

Madison, WI