We're
glad
you're
here!
✶
We're glad you're here! ✶
Who We Are & What We Do
Our Collective
Renegade Readers Club, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization rooted in community care and collaborative action. We've intentionally structured ourselves without traditional hierarchies, believing that the wisdom of many voices creates more resilient and responsive programming. As the world shifts and changes around us, we're evolving to meet the emerging needs of our community with creativity and compassion.
Our Holistic Vision
We recognize a profound truth: there is tremendous power in education and literacy, but this power remains inaccessible when basic needs go unmet. A child cannot lose themselves in a story when they're hungry. A parent cannot support learning when they're overwhelmed by stress. A community cannot thrive when its members are isolated.
That's why Renegade Readers Club takes a holistic approach, bridging gaps between literacy, wellness, basic needs, and community connection. By addressing the whole person and the systems around them, we create pathways for everyone to access their full potential. Our work isn't just about books—it's about removing barriers so the transformative power of stories can take root and flourish.
What We Create Together
Literacy as Liberation
We make reading rebellious, creative, and accessible through story circles, reading adventures, and literary exploration. Our approach celebrates different learning styles, creates judgment-free zones for all readers, and puts books directly into eager hands—no competition, no pressure, just the joy of discovery.
Collective Wellness
In a world that moves too fast, we're creating intentional spaces to slow down, breathe, and reconnect. Our nature immersion experiences, mindfulness circles, and creative expression workshops offer gentle alternatives to the constant pressure to perform and produce. Here, we remember that wellness isn't a destination but a practice we nurture together.
Celebrating Differences
We believe our differences make us stronger. Through supportive gathering spaces, skill-sharing workshops, and The Neighbor's Nest community cabinet, we're building a culture where neurodivergence, cultural backgrounds, learning styles, and personal journeys aren't just accommodated—they're celebrated as essential threads in our community fabric.
Our Approach
What defines our collective work is our commitment to:
Creating Safety - Building spaces where everyone feels secure enough to be authentic
Deep Listening - Honoring each person's experience and wisdom
Collaborative Care - Replacing competition with cooperation and mutual support
Responsive Evolution - Adapting to changing community needs with creativity and resilience
Growing Together
We're in a period of thoughtful expansion and are actively seeking new community members to shape our next chapter. Whether you're drawn to our reading circles, wellness gatherings, or support networks, or have ideas for something entirely new, there's space for your voice and vision here.
The challenges our world faces cannot be solved through individual effort alone. They require us to reconnect, to remember our interdependence, and to reimagine how we care for one another. That's the work we're doing, one story circle, forest walk, and community gathering at a time.
Join us. Grow with us. Create with us. The world is changing, and together, we can respond with courage, creativity, and care.
Our Status
Renegade Readers Club, Inc. is a recognized 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. All donations are tax-deductible to the full extent allowed by law.
At Renegade Readers Club, Inc., we are sparking a reading revolution, one story at a time. Through free-spirited storytelling, creative exploration, and community connection, we're breaking down barriers and building up young readers who dare to dream, discover, and break free through books. We can’t wait to hear your story!
Where our story began…..
From Front Lawn Conversations to Literary Revolution
It started with a simple feeling and the lingering questions as to why our communities were growing more disconnected? Why were fewer spaces truly welcoming to all children, especially those who color outside the lines? Why was it so hard to start a conversation with our neighbor?
So we decided to try something radical in its simplicity: we set up a tent, scattered pillows and blankets across the lawn, and invited neighbors to come in their pajamas for an evening of stories.
That first night, we weren't sure if anyone would come. But they did - families arrived with children of all ages, from toddlers to teens. Under the glow of string lights, children who had never met became fast friends. Parents connected while kids sprawled on blankets, mesmerized by tales of adventure and wonder.
This impromptu gathering became a weekly tradition. "Pajama Stories on the Lawn" grew by word of mouth, with new families joining each week. The evening always ended the same way - with children asking, "Can we do this again tomorrow?"
Growing Our Reading Rebellion
What began as neighborhood story time quickly revealed a deeper truth: our community was hungry for connection, for spaces where differences were celebrated, and where the joy of reading could be shared across generations.
Today, we're a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating accessible, engaging reading experiences through unconventional programming. Our approach remains rooted in those first front lawn gatherings - keeping reading rebellious, creative, and accessible to all.
We're expanding beyond our original neighborhood, searching for like minded friends who believe in the power of stories to build community. Our story is still being written, with new chapters unfolding each time a child discovers the joy of reading in their own unique way. We invite you to turn the page with us and become part of the next chapter in our reading rebellion.
My name is Erica and I created this space because I know what it's like to search for belonging in all the wrong places. My own journey taught me that the traditional routes didn't work for me - it was only when I ventured off the expected path that I truly began to thrive. Through every chapter of my life, even the successful ones, I've needed support in different forms.
In a world that celebrates independence at the expense of connection, Renegade Readers Club stands for a different story, one where we acknowledge our interdependence, celebrate our differences, and create spaces where everyone can find themselves in stories and in community.
Every program we offer, from forest hikes to creative arts, from support circles to skill-sharing workshops - carries the same message: there is no single "right way" to learn, to connect, or to be human. There are infinite paths to discovery, and we're here to explore them together.
I am deeply grateful to my parents, whose support made it possible for me to become the person I am and create this work. I owe much to the many people who also took on familial roles for me along my journey when I needed extra attention and additional support.
And as we gather primarily outdoors on land that has sustained countless generations before us, we acknowledge with respect and gratitude the indigenous peoples who stewarded these spaces with wisdom and care long before our arrival. We commit to treating the earth and each other with the same reverence, kindness, and respect.
Whether you join us for a single storytime or become part of our ongoing community, you are welcome here exactly as you are - with all your questions, hesitations, hopes, and unique brilliance.
Because that's what community does. We make room for each other. We learn from each other. And in doing so, we create something none of us could create alone.
Erica Ganns-Herold, Founder & Executive Director
Literacy Liberation Director
Renegade Readers Club, Inc.
Erica Ganns-Herold holds an Associate's degree in Humanities from SUNY Cobleskill and a Bachelor's degree in Legal Studies from SUNY Canton. With over seven years of nonprofit management experience, she brings both formal education and practical expertise to her role leading the Renegade Readers Club.
