More Than Words Bookstore

Specialties

Our youth run an inviting 501©3 nonprofit used bookstore featuring a wide array of titles, comfortable seating, and free wi-​fi. At our in-​store coffee bar, we proudly serve Starbucks coffee, espresso, tea, and other popular café drinks, as well as delicious baked treats.

History

Established in 2004.

More Than Words began in 2004 as Teen LEEP (Leadership, Employment &Enrichment Program), an online bookselling venture to provide employment and entrepreneurship training for teens in the foster care system. The pilot began in a small 150 sq. ft. office in Watertown with four young men from a local DCF (Department of Children and Families) group home, a few donated laptops and one bookshelf of donated books. In two short months it was necessary to move to a larger 650 sq. ft space and by June, 2005, Teen LEEP had both a storefront in Waltham, and a new name determined by the youth — More Than Words. The storefront space allowed MTW to increase the number of youth served as well as to focus on additional employment skills including retail management, event planning, and customer service training. The storefront also positioned our youth to gain confidence, poise and communication skills, as they were interacting with the community on a daily basis.