About Peaches and Sourcream Children’s Foundation, Inc.
Established in 2019
From an early age, Robin Muldor-Engram found solace in her imagination. With few toys and no books at home, she turned to pencil and paper, crafting a world of her own. Placed in foster care at six or seven and in her third home by ten, one thing remained unchanged—there still were no books.
Her love of reading ignited when she entered her first full year of school at six or seven. By eight, while living in her second foster home, she discovered the public library across from her elementary school. Though she doesn’t recall signing up for a library card—perhaps her teacher had a classroom account—she eagerly devoured picture books by Russell Hoban, Arnold Lobel, Miriam Young, and Maurice Sendak.
In her third foster home, she was thrilled to find that her neighborhood school had a library with a certified librarian. The moment her teacher led the class down the hall to check out books for a Black History project, something clicked. A fifth-grade book report on Billie Holiday and Mary McLeod Bethune cemented her passion for reading and journaling, shaping the trajectory of her life.
As a first-generation college graduate, Robin understood the barriers to education in underserved communities like the ones she grew up in. Determined to make a difference, she fostered a love of books within her own family, encouraging young relatives to embrace reading—some of whom went on to excel academically.
A defining moment came in 2017 at her nephew’s fifth-grade graduation. He earned high honors, yet in a class of about 50 students, only a handful received awards. As she celebrated his success, she couldn’t ignore the stark reality—many of his peers were likely struggling, victims of a literacy crisis disproportionately affecting African American children. Years of working with youth had shown her the devastating consequences of illiteracy: limited opportunities, generational poverty, and increased risks of incarceration. She saw a crisis unfolding and knew she had to take action.
Books had been her saving grace, steering her away from becoming another statistic. She vowed that no child—especially those in foster care—should grow up without access to them. Research confirmed what she already knew: low literacy rates correlate with poverty, and children who fall behind in reading often never catch up. This knowledge fueled her mission—to put books in the hands and homes of children who might otherwise never have them.
In 2019, she founded the Peaches and Sourcream Children’s Foundation, believing true change begins at home, with parents as a child’s first teachers. The foundation promotes a return to basics—building a culture of reading within families.
To establish lasting reading habits—research suggests they form after 18 or more days of consistency—she launched a four-week Summer Reading Rewards Program. Knowing that summer poses the highest risk for learning loss, she designed the program to counteract it by providing books, work folders, and family support. To motivate young readers, she introduced a monetary reward system, allowing children to earn money for each book read and report written—an allowance they could spend as they wished.
Through this initiative, the foundation does more than distribute books—it cultivates a community of readers. Children read two picture books a day, earning rewards for their dedication. The impact has been profound, boosting young readers’ confidence in reading and helping families embrace literacy as a lifelong habit.
