HORN LAKE, Miss. (Oct. 13, 2025) – Ann’s Heart for Books, a project dedicated to honoring the legacy of a woman who loved inspiring children to read, announced a new book drive in collaboration with the Forrest Spence Fund to benefit critically and chronically ill children and their families at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital.
Ann Brown Ashcraft was the daughter of Winn Brown and his wife Annie Ruth Brown. She was also the wife of Lee Ashcraft, who is known in DeSoto County for his work with the local Habitat for Humanity affiliate. Ann Brown Ashcraft passed away in 2017.
The annual project is collecting new children’s books, especially those for ages 0-4, with a goal of pushing its overall book collection total past the 10,000 mark. Since its inception in 2017, the initiative has collected more than 9,000 books for children facing difficult circumstances.
Last year, with support from family, friends, churches, DeSoto County schools and partner Suzanne Mosley with Paper Pie, Ann’s Heart for Books provided 1,058 books to the Forrest Spence Fund, a non-profit organization that assists families with the non-medical needs of a sick child.
The collected books are included in the Forrest Spence Fund’s Care Bags, which are distributed at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital. Organizers say that providing a book offers families a moment of “normalcy” and helps promote parent-child bonding through reading during a hospital stay.
Ruth Ann Munday
“We know Ann would have been touched to have so many children and families blessed with books to lift their spirits during difficult days,” said Ruth Munday, project organizer. “Ann’s great joy was working with children and inspiring them to develop their own love of books.”
The current book drive is being held to celebrate Ann’s birthday in 2025. Participants are asked to donate new children’s books, due to hospital COVID-19 guidelines. Monetary donations are also accepted. The drive runs from now through the end of the year.
Donations can be mailed to: Ruth Munday, P.O. Box 444, Horn Lake, MS 38637.
Local drop-off locations in DeSoto County, Mississippi, include:
The DeSoto County Museum, 111 E. Commerce St., Hernando, MS 38632
Winn Brown Law Firm, 1613 Main St., Southaven, MS 38671
SouthGroup Insurance, 5740 Getwell Rd., #12-A, Southaven, MS 38672
Bob Bakken provides content for DeSoto County News and its social media channels. He is an award-winning broadcaster, along with being a reporter and photographer, and has done sports media relations work with junior and minor league hockey teams. Along with his reports on this website, you will find this veteran media member providing sports updates and high school football play-by-play on Rebel 95.3 FM Radio.
