I saw an article about a children’s book bank in Oregon a while ago and have been meaning to mention it. What a great idea!
“The Children’s Book Bank — one of only a handful like it in the country — is the brainchild of Danielle Swope, 46, a southwest Portland mom of four who found herself wondering what to do with her kids’ books once they’d outgrown them. She considered donating them to the library or Goodwill, but worried the books wouldn’t end up in the hands of children who really needed them.
So she decided to give them to Head Start programs.
Word spread about Swope’s book donations. Soon, groups and agencies that work with low-income children were calling. “Are you the book lady?” they’d ask.
Swope, a former Teach for America math teacher, said she decided to start a book bank, figuring other parents would be willing to donate their kids’ books. She was quickly overwhelmed; friends, neighbors and even strangers would leave boxes of books on her front steps.”
I would love to hear about other similar programs in other areas. Please drop us a note if you are aware of any others.
