Whether you're a total bookworm or not, when you find yourself in an uncomfortable situation, as Mackenzie did at a young age, you quickly realize what a difference one great book can make.

Mackenzie had been diagnosed with a painful condition known as Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy in her knee. To get through the pain, she immersed herself in books.

Shortly after, Mackenzie heard about a residential treatment center that was hoping to create a library for severely abused children. The treatment center had the space and the shelves, but very few books. Mackenzie knew she had to help.

She thought that if books could help her, then they would also be able to help others. She gathered the books she no longer needed, and then asked for donations from friends and neighbors.

In little time, her book drive took off. She donated over 10,000 books to the residential treatment center and was even contacted by other homes and shelters looking for book donations.

Word of her book drives has spread throughout her community and beyond. She receives donations almost weekly and works with a local organization to find shelters in need for books. So far, she has collected over 22,000 books and has made donations to treatment centers and homeless shelters throughout the states of Georgia and Kentucky.

She plans to continue this project for years to come and hopes that the books she donates will introduce children to new ideas, cultures, and places, offer them a sense of calmness and safety, and leave them with a lifelong love of reading.