Duffy Books In Homes Receives $42,000 In Funding From The Cummins Foundation

The Cummins Foundation was created in 1954 and serves as the company's charitable giving organization. It provides to nonprofit partners to support communities in which their employees live and work to ensure the Foundation’s resources are used to deliver the greatest impact around the world. In the South Pacific, there are 37 branches and over 1,000 employees.

The Cummins Foundation have been supporting the work of Duffy Books in Homes for just over 12 months, supporting three schools with a total of almost 1,000 students to receive their own brand new books. They’ve now extended this funding by donating $42,000 towards Duffy’s mission of “ending the cycle of booklessness.”

Duffy Books in Homes was founded in 1993 by Alan Duff, with a simple vision – to inspire a love of books in children and to break the cycle of booklessness. The key concept of book ownership specifically targeted those children from higher EQI schools, prompting an interest in reading and a love of books, allowing the opportunity to share the books with other family members.

Launching officially in 1995 with key partner Mainfreight, they began with 80 schools. Now managed by Linda Vagana and a passionate dedicated team, the programme has now grown to encompass 570 schools and 269 early childhood centres. Over 90,000 children every year receive 6 books each provided by partnership between schools, funding partners and Ministry of Education with ongoing supporters and donors.

2024 will see Duffy celebrating 30 years since launching, Duffy Books in Homes has now surpassed delivering 15 million books into the hands of tamariki across Aotearoa and inspired offshoot programmes in Australia and the USA. In 1996 also saw the introduction of the Westpac Theatre Show which travels to over 500 schools from North Cape to Bluff bringing the Duffy message to life with a live 45-minute show.

General Manager of 18 years, Linda Vagana says “We are absolutely delighted to have been selected for additional funding from The Cummins Foundation. This funding will allow us to continue our mission and ensure that our work to inspire reading and end booklessness continues. We’re grateful to The Cummins Foundation for recognizing the need and the impact that books can have on our young people.”

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