Community Grant Spotlight: Kate’s Kart
Hospital visits can be a difficult experience for children and their families. Long waits, unfamiliar surroundings, and uncertainty can make an already stressful time even harder.
Kate’s Kart is helping provide comfort in those moments.
Through support from the Community Foundation DeKalb County, Kate’s Kart offers children in the Emergency Department the opportunity to choose a brand-new book to keep. The cart is stocked with various titles and brought directly to patient rooms, giving kids something to focus on beyond their visit.
These small moments matter. Choosing a book gives children a sense of control and creates opportunities for connection between patients, families, and caregivers. Staff often use the books to engage kids in conversation, helping shift the focus away from procedures and toward something familiar and comforting.
As one parent shared,
“My four-year-old son had to visit the ER while we were in town visiting my parents. He was understandably nervous, and the nurse came back with a Lightning McQueen book from Kate’s Kart. Nothing in the hospital was normal or familiar for him until that Lightning McQueen book. We greatly appreciate the comfort and sense of normalcy a “familiar face” brought to him.”
The impact continues beyond the hospital. Books help children stay engaged in reading, encourage family interaction, and can become lasting favorites at home.
Thanks to a $3,000 Community Grant from the Community Foundation DeKalb County, Kate’s Kart distributed 1,242 books to patients through the Emergency Department at Parkview DeKalb in 2025, including 480 books funded through this grant.
For 30 years, the Community Foundation has partnered with organizations serving DeKalb County to support projects and programs that strengthen our community.
This story is part of our 30 Years, 30 Stories series, highlighting the people, partnerships, and projects shaping DeKalb County.
Want to support projects like this one?
Give Where You Live is happening May 4–8. By making a gift to the Community Grantmaking Endowment Fund, you help support grants that make projects like this possible. Thanks to a 2:1 match from Lilly Endowment, Inc. through GIFT IX, your gift will be tripled until we reach our goal. Learn more here.