“Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counsellors, and the most patient of teachers.” — Charles William Eliot
If you’re a child born into a middle-class family in this country, you have an average of 13 age-appropriate books in your home. But if you’re a child born into less fortunate circumstances, you have one book to share with 300 other children in your neighborhood.
A few weeks ago I went to visit my best friend from grade school. We met in the first grade and have been friends ever since. She is working at a place called Bernie’s Book Bank and invited me on a tour of the facility. She told me about the mission of Bernie’s and some stories from the kids who get the donated books. I was in tears in the first 10 minutes.
It may be difficult to imagine growing up without books, but this is a reality for many children in the United States. Reading was such a big part of my childhood, and something that gave me a starting point from where I could explore the world, or create one of mine own. The possibilities of who I could be and where I could go were limitless, as long as there were books.
Nomadic Ant will be organizing a book drive here in Chicago in November, so start collecting your gently used children’s books! We hope to host an event to help raise awareness about child literacy and to introduce this great organization to a wider group by inviting friends to get involved. Nomadic Ant will also be raising money for Bernie’s Book Bank the rest of the year by donating a percentage of all online sales to this amazing organization.
This October I am volunteering at an event for Bernie’s Book Bank downtown at the Union League Club of Chicago and would love it if you could share the details of this Book Lover’s Lunch with your friends, co-workers, local libraries and book stores. We hope that more people will get involved either by donating some books, volunteering at Bernie’s (this is a great day trip for book lovers of ALL ages who will love sorting the books as much as I did!) or simply spreading the word to your friends and family. I look forward to seeing all of you at our own fall event which will be sometime in November. Stay tuned and happy reading!
“Books are the plane, and the train, and the road. They are the destination, and the journey. They are home.” ― Anna Quindlen, How Reading Changed My Life
General Inquiries: call: 847-780-READ (7323) or nancy@berniesbookbank.org
To volunteer with a group of 4 or more: contact Nancy Hopma, Office Coordinator at 847-780-READ (7323) or nancy@berniesbookbank.org
To set-up a book drive or book collection: contact Dawn Watrous, Books Collections Manager at 774-826-9880 or dawn@berniesbookbank.org
