Georgia Student Authors Children’s Book on Homelessness Empowering Youth to Practice Compassion and Share their Voice for Good

03/28/2024

ATLANTA, GA — Zion Lester a high school scholar, student-athlete, and now author pens her first book: “Zion Learns to See,” a heartwarming children’s book fostering empathy and awareness about homelessness. Co-authored alongside her father and founder of Love Beyond Walls, Dr. Terence Lester, “Zion Learns to See” invites young readers to see the world through a lens of hope, and compassion while empowering youth to take action in their communities. Published by InterVarsity Press Kids, “Zion Learns to See” releases Tuesday, March 12th on Amazon and all major book retailers.

The prevalence of homelessness is not just an adult issue. According to the National Center for Homeless Education, over 1.2 million school-aged children are experiencing homelessness or transitional housing citing the impact on their schoolwork and performance. Witnessing the plague of homelessness ravage schools and communities throughout the U.S, Zion was inspired to join her father Dr. Terence Lester in addressing systemic poverty, mobilizing aid to families, and now launching Zion’s Closet; a collaboration with various school districts powered by Love Beyond Walls to provide clothing, school supplies and hygiene products for K-12 students in disproportionately impacted communities across the country.

“‘Zion Learns to See’ is more than just a children’s book; it equips families with tools to have meaningful conversations about empathy, kindness, and celebrating the power of community,” says Zion Lester. “We hope that ‘Zion Learns to See’ shows that our youth can be catalysts for change regardless of age, inspiring others to serve as well.”
“I am incredibly grateful to have co-authored this book with my daughter about a real story from our relationship,” says Dr. Lester. “Teaching my children that service is not merely an activity but a way of life has been a deeply rewarding experience. ‘Zion Learns To See’ inspires parents to cultivate a generation that loves without condition, respecting the dignity and worth of every individual, regardless of their life situations and housing status.”

“Zion Learns to See” is currently on tour visiting schools, hosting reading parties, empowering students to take action in their communities, and sharing her story as a young author. To request “Zion Learns to See” at your school, media interviews, or speaking engagements, please contact [email protected].
To purchase or learn more about “Zion Learns to See”, visit ZionJoyLester.com. Join and follow the conversation on social @ZionJoyLester, @ImTerenceLester and @LoveBeyondWalls.

About Zion Lester

Zion’s interest and curiosity about her dad, Dr. Terence Lester’s work launched a Since then, she has become a community leader, writer, and speaker. She has also continued to regularly serve with Love Beyond Walls and encourages others her age and younger to volunteer.
About Dr. Terence Lester

Dr. Terence Lester is a minister, speaker, community activist, author, and founder of Love Beyond Walls, a not-for-profit organization focused on poverty awareness and community mobilization. Completing his doctorate studies in Social Change, Dr. Lester is known for nationwide campaigns that bring awareness to issues surrounding homelessness, poverty, and economic inequality. He has been featured on The Today Show, Good Morning America, NBC, USA Today, Black Enterprise, and Essence, among others. Dr. Lester’s unique approach to confronting systemic issues starts with challenging the public’s perception of the least of these and equipping communities with the power of empathy to influence social change.

About Love Beyond Walls

Love Beyond Walls is a movement birthed out of the hope that love is greater than walls. One of the most distinguishable characteristics of our organization is our focus on telling the stories of the unseen. We are committed to the people that the world passes by because we believe the people struggling with poverty and sleeping on the streets have lives and stories that are just as valuable as ours. For more information on Love Beyond Walls, visit LoveBeyondWalls.org.