SAN DIEGO, CA – (July, 2, 2025) Family Health Centers of San Diego (FHCSD) hosted a book distribution organized by Reach Out and Read San Diego (RORSD), helping bring books to pediatric medical providers across San Diego and Imperial Counties.
The Dr. Seuss Foundation generously donated a total of 15,000 children’s books. The first 7,000 books were distributed at Wednesday’s events to more than 100 Reach Out and Read sites, including 13 FHCSD clinics.
FHCSD’s Lockridge facility served as the central storage and distribution hub, with RORSD coordinators, physicians, and clinic staff selecting books for their respective sites.
“Early literacy is essential to a child’s healthy development,” said Dr. Marsha Spitzer, chief of pediatrics for clinical support at FHCSD. “Through Reach Out and Read, pediatricians can partner with families to nurture language skills, promote healthy emotional development and inspire a lifelong love of reading.”
FHCSD has participated in Reach Out and Read for more than two decades. In 2024 alone, our clinics distributed over 14,000 new books in ten different languages spoken by the families we serve. In addition, we shared hundreds of donated, gently-used books in our waiting rooms.
“We love seeing children’s faces light up when they receive books through Reach Out and Read,” said Angela Davidson, clinic director at Grossmont Spring Valley Family Health Center. “Our pediatric team is excited to share this wonderful donation of Dr. Seuss books with our patients.”
Reach Out and Read is a national, evidence-based program that integrates early literacy into pediatric care by providing books and guidance on how to share books with young children during well-child visits. In San Diego and Imperial Counties, RORSD is coordinated by the American Academy of Pediatrics, California Chapter 3 (AAP-CA3), which partners with public agencies, libraries and community clinics — including FHCSD — to expand and sustain the program locally.
Community members can support FHCSD’s Reach Out and Read program through in-kind or monetary donations. Learn more here.
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About Family Health Centers of San Diego
Since 1970, FHCSD’s mission has been to provide caring, affordable, high-quality health care and supportive services to everyone, with a special commitment to uninsured, low-income and medically underserved persons. FHCSD is one of the top 10 largest federally qualified health centers in the country, operating more than 90 sites across San Diego County and providing care to more than 227,000 patients each year, of whom 91% are low-income and 29% are uninsured.
