By Elisha Spencer
When people hear the name Katina’s Klassroom, they often assume it is simply a nonprofit that gives away books.
Founder Katina Rankin smiles at that assumption because the mission has always been much bigger.
“Books are how we open the door,” Rankin said. “But what we’re really giving children is hope, confidence and the belief that their dreams matter.”
For nearly a decade, Katina’s Klassroom has worked to remove barriers that prevent children from learning. Sometimes that barrier is a lack of books. Sometimes it is food insecurity. Sometimes it is simply a child who has never been told their voice matters.
The nonprofit’s motto says it best: With Books You Can Go Places. #READ.
A Mission Born From Service
Rankin spent years as a journalist covering communities across Mississippi and Tennessee. She told stories about families struggling to make ends meet, schools doing more with less and children who deserved every opportunity to succeed.
Eventually, she wanted to do more than write about the challenges.
“I realized I wanted to be part of the solution,” she said.
That desire led to the creation of Katina’s Klassroom, a nonprofit dedicated to helping children discover the power of reading while providing practical support to families.
What began with community book giveaways has grown into year-round literacy initiatives, school supply distributions, clothing giveaways, and programs that address both educational and basic needs.
Why Books and Food Belong Together
One question comes up often:
Why would a literacy nonprofit also provide food?
For Rankin, the answer is simple.
“A child who is hungry isn’t thinking about reading comprehension,” she said. “They’re thinking about when they’ll eat again.”
That is why Katina’s Klassroom intentionally combines literacy with food security.
Children receive books they can call their own while families also receive snacks, backpacks and other resources through programs designed to meet immediate needs without losing sight of long-term educational success.
“Food feeds the body,” Rankin said. “Books feed the imagination. Children deserve both.”
Helping Children See Themselves as Readers
One of the organization’s biggest goals is helping children build a lifelong relationship with reading.
For many children in rural communities, owning books is not something they take for granted.
Katina’s Klassroom works to change that by putting high-quality, age-appropriate books directly into children’s hands and creating fun experiences that make reading exciting.
The nonprofit also believes literacy extends beyond reading words on a page.
Children are encouraged to write, imagine, ask questions and discover that their own stories have value.
“We want children to know their voice matters,” Rankin said. “Every great reader can become a great writer. Every child has a story worth telling.”
Serving Communities Close to Home
Katina’s Klassroom primarily serves children and families in Simpson County and surrounding counties, while partnering with schools, churches, community organizations and volunteers to expand its reach.
Over the years, the organization has also supported educational efforts internationally, including helping build a school in Jamestown, Ghana.
Whether serving children across the street or across the world, the mission remains the same.
“Every child deserves an opportunity to learn,” Rankin said. “Where they live should never determine what they have access to.”
Looking Ahead
As Katina’s Klassroom prepares for its next chapter, Rankin hopes to expand literacy programming, strengthen partnerships and reach even more children living in rural communities where access to books and educational resources can be limited.
She also hopes to continue developing programs that encourage children not only to read but to dream bigger, think creatively and believe in their own potential.
“We’re not just raising readers,” she said. “We’re helping raise future teachers, business owners, authors, scientists and leaders. Every book we place in a child’s hands is an investment in their future.”
For Rankin, that is what Katina’s Klassroom has always been about.
“It’s never been about me,” she said. “It’s about making sure every child knows someone believes in them. If we can do that, we’ve done something that lasts far beyond a single book.”
When asked what legacy she hopes Katina’s Klassroom will leave for future generations, Rankin reflected on the experiences that have shaped both her life and the nonprofit’s mission.
“I don’t think my biggest story is that I’m an Emmy-nominated journalist.
I don’t even think it’s helping build a school in Ghana or seeing that story reach audiences across Accra.
My role in this story is different.
I didn’t choose between literacy, journalism, food security and community service. GOD helped me figure out how each of those blessings could strengthen the others.
Very few organizations can honestly say they publish a digital newspaper, operate a children’s section, write children’s books, fight food insecurity, support literacy, produce documentaries, build schools internationally and still remain rooted in rural Mississippi.
That’s what makes Katina’s Klassroom different.
Because every child deserves more than a chance to read. Every child deserves the chance to dream, to believe and to write a story that is entirely their own,” Rankin said tearfully.
At its heart, Katina’s Klassroom is not just changing what children read. It is changing what they believe is possible.
One book. One child. One dream. One opportunity at a time.
That is how lives are changed. That is how communities are transformed.
