Skip to Main Content
The Office of The Duke and Duchess of Sussex logo The Office of Prince Harry & Meghan The Duke & Duchess of Sussex

Nourishing Our Communities Through Reading

Jun. 2021

As Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex’s debut children’s book, The Bench, releases worldwide, she and her husband, Prince Harry, along with all of us at Archewell are taking a moment to recognize and support the amazing changemakers who are fostering community, compassion, and connection for every child. 

After more than a year of unprecedented challenges for schoolkids and families everywhere, The Duchess believes the path ahead must include a focus on well-being—and nourishing our communities through food, education, and emotional and mental health support. 

At Archewell, that is often centered on food and essential needs (as evidenced by our partnership with organizations like World Central Kitchen) but also nourishment through learning and connection (as seen in The Duchess’s support of last year’s Save With Stories initiative to raise funds for educational resources like books, toys, and worksheets). 

As an example of this belief system, The Duchess and Archewell have received the support of the publisher of The Bench to distribute 2,000 copies at no cost to libraries, community centers, schools, and nonprofit programs across the country. 

Those receiving free copies include vital organizations like Assistance League® of Los Angeles, which has served the local community for more than 100 years and which The Duke and Duchess visited twice last year to spend time with the children at the organization’s Preschool Learning Center. 

To make this happen, Archewell is working with the team at First Book, a nonprofit social enterprise that’s distributed more than 200 million books and educational resources to programs and schools serving kids in low-income communities in the United States and Canada. Reaching an average of 5 million kids per year, the First Book Network operates in classrooms, afterschool programs, libraries, community programs, military support programs, and more.