Today we’d like to introduce you to Michelle Cook.
Hi Michelle, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Six years ago, I was having coffee with a teacher-friend. I was shocked to hear that her students in Far East Dallas did not have books at home. In fact, they had never considered reading as an activity to do for fun! In comparing that to the plethora of books that my own children had read and had access to, I believed this was an inequity that I could do something about. I recruited by best friend, Nicol Klingenstein, and together we reached out to our friends in North Dallas and asked for books their children had outgrown. The response was amazing! In a short time, we had collected 2,000 books to share with these kids who had few, if any, at home. Soon we offered a few free book fairs stocked with used books. We were surprised and delighted by the response of the children. We had found a niche that was under-served. There are many literacy organizations that gift books to preschool children; however, once the child enters elementary school, these literacy groups transfer this access to books to schools and libraries. While these are great, there are many obstacles for the children we serve to have access to these books. In addition to the fact that it’s just not the same when you have to return a book you love vs. books a child can call “mine.”
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
We have grown by taking small steps. COVID was a huge obstacle because many of the schools we served were closed to volunteers. When COVID first arrived, and our year-end book fairs were cancelled, I wondered if we would ever resume our services. Tons of donations were allocated for food and rent. Fortunately, there were several schools who adapted. We held book fairs outside while keeping a distance. We wore masks. Our donors were faithful in giving. The loss of learning due to school closures during COVID has increased demand for our free book fairs now. Our current challenges are finding volunteers to help at our book fairs and additional sponsors to expand according to the need.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Book Drive for Kids is grassroots, 501(c)3 non-profit organization born out of a desire to get books into the hearts and homes of children. We believe that reading a wide variety of books will expand a child’s world in both tangible and intangible ways. Not only do academic skills improve, but good books model admirable behavior and values that children can imitate, spark curiosity, and introduce them to people and places they do not see in their current community.
Book Drive for Kids is unique in that we serve school-age children – preK – 6th grade with free book fairs. Children select a book of their choice from our wide selection without adult interference. Freedom of choice is not a skill that many have developed, so this is an opportunity for them to advocate for themselves. Our book fairs are sponsored by caring individuals and businesses that want to give back, so these books are a gift, not an entitlement. Smiles, hugs, and the question, “Do I get to keep the book forever and ever?” are our rewards.
Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
Persistence and Collaboration are the two most important characteristics to the success of Book Drive for Kids. It takes persistence to do any worthy endeavor. There are always obstacles, detours, and things never happen as fast as you want them to; however, those things can be real blessings because you learn to adapt, innovate, and refine your mission along the way. Collaboration is a key part of our program as well. We partner with schools, civic groups, and teachers with whom we share a common goal – to get books into the hearts and homes of underserved children so they can develop a love of reading. When school leaders invite us to their campus, we can interact with 400-600 students in one day! This expands our sphere of influence. On the donor side, we collaborate with donors and allow them to “do something” about their desire to ensure the next generation can read, reason, and lead our communities. One example of this is our relationship with ThriftBooks, an online used bookseller. They have committed 50,000 used books to Book Drive for Kids. In turn, we can gift other groups with smaller, age-appropriate book donations that ThriftBooks would have difficulty distributing in such small quantities.
When we work together, we can expand our reach and accomplish our mission more effectively.
If this has touched your heart, like it continues to do ours, consider donating funds for new books OR volunteer to help us in our warehouse or book fairs. Resource and contact information is listed below.
Pricing:
- $4 donation places a book in the hand of a child
- $1500-2500 sponsors a free book fair for an entire elementary school
Contact Info:
- Website: https://bookdriveforkids.com/
- Instagram: book.drive.for.kids
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BookDrive4Kids
Image Credits
Michelle Cook
Book Drive for Kids
