Healing Chapters Foundation

Bringing comfort through the power of reading

Become a monthly donor to help us serve more children all year long.

Bringing Comfort Through the Power of Reading

Every $10 donation helps provide comforting books to children and families who need them most.

Our Mission

The Healing Chapters Foundation is a volunteer-run 501(c)(3) that:

  • Provides books to children facing physical or mental illness.
  • Partners with service organizations to deliver thoughtfully selected, age-appropriate books.
  • Promotes reading as a source of encouragement, imagination, and connection when children need it most.

Gifting Partners

To reach more children, we partner with the following organizations by providing an inventory of books for distribution to children and families who need comfort, encouragement, and hope.

  • Adult, Child, & Family Services – Mankato, MN
  • Childhood Cancer Community – Rochester, MN
  • Families First Counseling Services – Waterloo, IA
  • Family & Children’s Center – La Crosse, WI
  • Family Service Rochester – Rochester, MN
  • Ronald McDonald House Charities – Des Moines, IA
  • Ronald McDonald House Charities – Iowa City, IA
  • Ronald McDonald House Charities – Sioux City, IA
  • Ronald McDonald House Charities – Chicago, IL
  • Ronald McDonald House Charities – Albuquerque, NM
  • Ronald McDonald House Charities – Rochester, MN
  • Ronald McDonald House Charities – Minneapolis/St. Paul/Duluth, MN
  • Ronald McDonald House Charities – St. Louis, MO
  • Ronald McDonald House Charities – Indianapolis, IN
  • Ronald McDonald House Charities – Kansas City, MO
  • Ronald McDonald House Charities – Billings, MT
  • Ronald McDonald House Charities – Omaha, NE
  • Ronald McDonald House Charities – Columbus, OH
  • Ronald McDonald House Charities – Cleveland, OH
  • Ronald McDonald House Charities – Cincinnati/Dayton, OH
  • Ronald McDonald House Charities – Akron, OH
  • Ronald McDonald House Charities – Pittsburgh, PA
  • Ronald McDonald House Charities – Sioux Falls, SD
  • Ronald McDonald House Charities – Houston, TX
  • Ronald McDonald House Charities – Morgantown, WV

Corporate Donors

We are deeply grateful for the generosity of our corporate sponsors. Their support allows us to continue growing our mission of bringing comfort and encouragement to children facing physical or mental illness.

Trina Solano – Edina Realty

We need your help!

Your gift of time, talent, or treasure helps the Healing Chapters Foundation put books into the hands of children facing serious health challenges. Help us bring comfort and hope through the power of reading!

Contact Us

Please use the form to contact us with comments, to volunteer your time, or nominate an organization for us to work with.

Volunteer your time — help plan fundraising events to bring reading enjoyment to kids.

Nominate an organization — a children’s hospital, Ronald McDonald House, etc. — for us to reach out to.

    Our Library

    Our library features carefully selected titles from mostly independent authors. By choosing these books, we provide children with unique and meaningful reading experiences while also supporting the creativity of emerging writers. If you have suggestions for books we should consider, we would love to hear from you.

    Animal Babies

    Far Country Press

    farcountrypress.com/Books/Browse-by-Topic/National-Parks/(offset)/100

    Oriole Pete Spins a Yarn

    Mikaela Hagen

    amazon.com/Oriole-Pete-Spins-Yarn-Colorful/dp/1956048316

    The Wonders of the Peculiar Parasol

    Mark M. Even

    dragonstonestories.com

    Today is the Day! My First Surgery

    Carli Tourdot, CCLS

    amazon.com/Today-Day-My-First-Surgery/dp/B0FR2Y3SRC

    Harrison Waits

    Missy Hagen

    missyannhagen.com

    Vincent Ventura and The Mystery of the Chupacabras

    Xavier Garza

    artepublicopress.com/product/vincent-ventura-and-the-mystery-of-the-chupacabras-vincent-ventura-y-el-misterio-del-chupacabras

    Icy Watermelon

    Mary Sue Galindo

    artepublicopress.com/product/icy-watermelon-sandia-fria-paperback

    Goodnight Unicorn

    Pearl E Horne

    bailiwickpress.com

    Sip, Slurp, Soup, Soup / Caldo, Caldo, Caldo

    Diane Gonzales Bertrand

    artepublicopress.com/product/sip-slurp-soup-soup-hardcover

    Goodnight Little Dreamer

    Sterling B Freeman

    littlelightseries.com

    News

    • April 2026 Roadtrip

      April 2026 Roadtrip

      Joyce and I went on a road trip this April to deliver over 2000 books to 8 locations across the Midwest/Mideast states of Iowa, Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. Our Gifting Partners of Families First Counseling (Waterloo IA) and Ronald McDonald Houses in Chicago, Columbus, Cleveland, Akron, Pittsburgh, Morgantown, and Cincinnati (in that order)…

    • Autumn 2025

      Autumn 2025

      As we head into the holiday season, the Foundation has been very busy. Book deliveries to our Gifting Partner network has been pretty steady, with books provided to Ronald McDonald Houses in Omaha, Kansas City, Des Moines, plus two new locations: Pittsburgh & Morgantown WV! Plus we added two new mental wellness partners: Adult, Child,…

    • A Busy September 2025

      We were pretty active this month, dropping off books with 4 of our Gifting Partners: Ronald McDonald Houses in Iowa City, St Louis, and Rochester and to the Childhood Cancer Community. Plus, the Foundation and numerous volunteers were very active in selling tickets to our first ever Raffle. The Raffle will be drawn in November…

    About Us

    Mark Even

    Founder / President

    Mark Even retired from IBM in 2017 after nearly 40 years in technology leadership. He is the award-winning author of four children's novels and founded Healing Chapters after a book donation to the Rochester Ronald McDonald House inspired a larger vision. Mark is passionate about growing the Foundation and ensuring more children and families experience the comfort, hope, and healing that books can provide. When he's not writing or working with Healing Chapters, he enjoys golfing, birdwatching, fishing, and spending time with his grandchildren.

    Joyce Even

    Vice-President

    Joyce Even, RN (inactive), MBA, CPA (retired), is a retired healthcare executive with more than 30 years of leadership experience in healthcare, finance, marketing, and business strategy. Her career included professional public accounting and executive leadership at Mayo Clinic. A lifelong volunteer, Joyce brings her financial, business, and strategic expertise to Healing Chapters, helping guide the Foundation's growth and mission. She enjoys spending time at the family cabin in northern Wisconsin, golfing, traveling, and being "Grandma."

    Dr. Amanda Delsman

    Director

    Dr. Amanda Delsman is a licensed clinical psychologist at Park Nicollet specializing in the treatment of eating disorders. She earned her bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and her Doctor of Psychology degree from the Minnesota School of Professional Psychology. Amanda's passion for reading and children's emotional well-being inspires her commitment to Healing Chapters' mission. She enjoys sharing her love of books with her two children.

    Tyler Even

    Director

    Tyler Even is Vice President of Research & Development at Precisely with more than 20 years of experience in software engineering and technology leadership. His career includes IBM, Mayo Clinic, and Precisely. As the webmaster and technical lead for Healing Chapters, Tyler helps advance the organization's mission through innovative technology solutions. He is passionate about creating exceptional user experiences and leveraging technology to expand the Foundation's impact. Tyler enjoys spending time with his family, golfing, and exploring new technologies.

    Dan Even

    Director

    Dan Even is a risk management professional with more than 16 years of experience, including leadership roles at Mall of America, Target Corporation, and Mayo Clinic. He serves as a Byron, Minnesota, City Council member and coaches youth basketball and softball. Dan is passionate about serving his community and supporting Healing Chapters' mission of bringing comfort and hope to children and families through books. He enjoys spending time with his family, golfing, grilling, and drawing.