Our Goal

Our goal is to promote literacy and encourage the children and their families to read on an ongoing basis. We are constantly in need of donations, including new books, book store gift cards and monetary contributions to help supplement the purchase of books. Please contact us for more information on making a donation, or becoming a Kate's Kart volunteer.

Mission Statement:

Through the gifting of new books, Kate's Kart strives to provide a comforting diversion to hospitalized children and their families, and to foster a love of books, and ultimately literacy, by encouraging children to read and parents to read to their children.

Donation Drop-Off Locations:

Bisque-It Pottery Painting Studio
7605 Coldwater Road
Fort Wayne, IN 46825
(260) 490-0506
Drop-Off Hours: 
Mon. - Sat. 10:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Sun. 12:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Canterbury Middle School
5601 Covington Road
Fort Wayne, IN 46804
(260) 436-7721
Drop-Off Hours:
Mon. - Fri. 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

First Church of the Nazarene
3101 N. Benton Road
Muncie, IN 47304
(765) 282-4138
Drop-Off Hours:
Mon. - Fri. 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Please contact us for other locations.

We now accept credit card donations online through PayPal!

What is "Kate's Kart"?

Kate's Kart, Inc., is a not-for-profit organization founded in memory of Katherine Anne Layman (affectionately known to family and friends as "Baby Kate"), that supplies free books to hospitalized children.

Baby Kate was born on June 26, 2006. Shortly after her birth, she was diagnosed with a "broken heart"...Tetralogy of Fallot with Pulmonary Atresia associated with the 22q11 chromosomal deletion.  Kate was a trooper, enduring 4 open heart surgeries, 5 heart catheterizations, and over 150 days in the hospital. During her stays in the hospital, one of Kate's favorite things to do was look at books and have others read to her. On January 15, 2008, her fragile heart gave out and she passed from her mother's arms into her Heavenly Father's arms at the age of 18 months. 

In honor of Kate, and her love of books, the Layman family decided to start a rolling book Kart in the pediatric unit of a local hospital as a way to give back to the medical community that had taken such great care of Kate.  The Kart would be filled with new books, and each child would be able to select a book off the Kart to keep.

Just 6 months after her passing, the first Kate's Kart started rolling through the halls of Lutheran Hospital on Wednesday, June 4, 2008.  As of June 2010, we now have Karts in 12 area hospitals, plus inquiries from other hospitals as far away as Cleveland!

Click here for the complete History of Kate's Kart.
 

Ball Memorial Hospital
2401 W. University Ave.
Muncie, IN 47303
Switchboard: (765) 747-3111
Hospital Contact - Rita Cooper

Cameron Memorial Community Hospital
416 E. Maumee St.
Angola, IN 46703
Switchboard: (260) 665-2141
Hospital Contact - Vicki Harris

Dupont Hospital
2520 E. Dupont Rd.
Fort Wayne, IN 46825
Switchboard: (260) 416-3000
K. K. Volunteer Scheduler - Linda George

Jay County Hospital
500 W. Votaw St.
Portland, IN 47371
Switchboard: (260) 726-7131
K. K. Contact Person - Cathy Layman-Habegger

Lutheran Hospital of Indiana
7950 W. Jefferson Blvd.
Fort Wayne, IN 46804
Switchboard: (260) 435-7001
Toll Free: (800) 444-2001
K. K. Volunteer Scheduler - Nikki Miller

Parkview Hospital (Main)
2200 Randallia Dr.
Fort Wayne, IN 46805
Switchboard: (260) 373-4000
Hospital Contact - Laura Nine
K. K. Volunteer Scheduler - Nancy Gongwer

Parkview Huntington Hospital
2001 Stults Rd.
Huntington, IN 46750
Switchboard: (260) 355-3000
Hospital Contact - Juli Johnson

Parkview LaGrange Hospital
207 N. Townline Rd.
LaGrange, IN 46761
Switchboard: (260) 463-2143
Hospital Contact - Katie Jackson

Parkview Noble Hospital
401 Sawyer Rd.
Kendallville, IN 46755
Switchboard: (260) 347-8700
Hospital Contact - Christina Blaskie

Parkview North Hospital
11115 Parkview Plaza Dr.
Fort Wayne, IN 46845
Switchboard: (260) 672-5000
Hospital Contact - Laura Nine
K. K. Volunteer Scheduler - Linda Dupont

Parkview Whitley Hospital
353 N. Oak St.
Columbia City, IN 46725
Switchboard: (260) 248-9000
Hospital Contact - Melissa Johnson

Saint Joseph Hospital
700 Broadway
Fort Wayne, IN 46802
Switchboard: (260) 425-3000
Hospital Contact - Sheryl Mourey

The Logo Tree

The Kate's Kart logo tree was designed by Seth Layman, Kate's brother, at age 4 (April 2008).