Books for Keeps blog

Mark your calendars now, because 2019 Book Distributions are coming soon! Are you ready to be a part of something truly special? Are you ready to help us share the power of reading with thousands of students?! With your help, we’ll once more be giving away nearly 95,000 books to children at 18 schools in Athens, Atlanta, Warrenton, and Elberton. This is your chance to experience the joy of helping students in your community pick out 12 free books for summer – for keeps!  School-specific volunteer shifts will be coming soon, but official distribution dates have been finalized!

If you are part of a group (8 to 15 people) that would like to adopt and work an entire shift at a particular school, let us know now so that we can coordinate with you to reserve a shift. Email Program Manager
Justin Bray at justin@booksforkeeps.org

April 16-18, 2019: Elbert County Elementary School- Elberton, GA

April 18-19, 2019: Dunbar Elementary School- Atlanta, GA

April 22-23, 2019: Fowler Drive Elementary School- Athens, GA

April 24, 2019: Downtown Academy- Athens, GA

April 25, 2019: Benteen Elementary School- Atlanta, GA

April 26 & 29, 2019: Gaines Elementary School- Athens, GA

April 29-30, 2019: Oglethorpe Avenue Elementary School- Athens, GA

April 30 & May 1, 2019: Winterville Elementary School- Athens, GA

May 1-2, 2019: Barnett Shoals Elementary School- Athens, GA

May 2-3 & 6, 2019: Whitehead Road Elementary School- Athens, GA

May 3, 2019: Cleveland Road Elementary School- Athens, GA

May 6-7, 2019: Elbert County Primary School- Elberton, GA

May 7-8, 2019: J.J. Harris Elementary School- Athens, GA

May 8, 2019: Freeman Elementary School- Warrenton, GA

May 9-10, 2019: Stroud Elementary School- Athens, GA

May 10 & 13, 2019: Barrow Elementary School- Athens, GA

May 13-14, 2019: Alps Road Elementary School- Athens, GA

May 15-16, 2019: Whit Davis Elementary School- Athens, GA

We look forward to seeing you at distributions!

(part of a new monthly series)

How did you first hear or learn about Books for Keeps?

I first learned about Books for Keeps through the Annual Book Sale. I have a voracious appetite for books (I think our collection is up in the 5 figure range now), and the sale always has a great selection. I learned more about the organization and the mission through some of the tech companies I’ve worked with in Athens (namely Seller Labs and BookScouter, via Brandon and Dustin Checketts), and I felt motivated to get more involved.

How long have you been volunteering or serving with Books for Keeps?

I’ve been serving on the Board of BFK since January (of 2018), and have had the opportunity to volunteer at some book distributions and the book sale. It’s a great experience, especially book distributions – watching the kids get pumped about picking out books is tons of fun.

Why did you choose to serve on the Books for Keeps’ board?

As I mentioned, I love reading – my dad was a teacher, and literacy of all kinds has always been a passion of mine. Working with an organization like BFK is an opportunity to advance that passion. A love of reading translates to a love of learning, which I think is a key ingredient in enjoying life and being successful.

Have you worked with other non-profits in the past? Which ones?  

I’ve also been involved in improving technical literacy and helping develop technology skills through Four Athens. Through teaching technology and coding classes, as well as a stint as Executive Director, I worked in the community to help tech-focused startups get off the ground, and helped develop a workforce that could support those startups.

What strengths are you [...]

(part of a new monthly series)

How did you first hear or learn about Books for Keeps?

I had come across information about BFK from social media and news articles over the years and always admired the work of the organization.  When BFK reached out to our school superintendent about possibly serving Elbert County, he asked me to become involved early on. I met with Leslie and was hooked immediately.

How long have you been volunteering or serving with Books for Keeps?

I started volunteering at the very first book distribution in Elbert County (2016) and joined the board in October, 2017.

Why did you choose to serve on the Books for Keeps’ board?

I wanted to increase my personal commitment to BFK and also wanted to represent Elbert County.

Have you had an inspiring/memorable interaction with a student since working with Books for Keeps? Tell us about it!

The joy on the faces of the students during book distribution inspires me.  More than once, I have overheard students saying “This is the best day ever!”

Have you worked with other non-profits in the past? Which ones?

I am the executive director of Community Partnership of Elbert County, Inc., which is a non-profit that manages the local Family Connection Collaborative activities and provides programs and services to improve outcomes for families and children in Elbert County.  Over the years I have worked with various other non-profits in our community.

What strengths are you bringing to Books for Keeps?

My passion for wanting every child to have the best possible chances for a happy, healthy, and educated life.  I also believe that my almost 18 years as the executive director of a non-profit allows me the ability to understand the unique challenges of non-profit work.

What is your [...]

by BFK Executive Director Leslie Hale

If your family is like mine, the week surrounding Thanksgiving is spent with one foot in two mental worlds – the chaos of concentrated time with extended family, and the warmth of reflecting on the blessings we’ve received and shared with others.

That’s why I love Giving Tuesday.

During this decade, the Tuesday following Thanksgiving has grown as a focal point for sharing these blessings – a way to pay forward the abundance we’ve received in our own lives, while starting the giving season off right. Maybe it’s just because I’m not much of a Black Friday shopper, but I adore the very idea of a day focused on what we can do for others – all of it following the excesses of food, drink, and shopping that come with Thanksgiving Day, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday.

This year’s Giving Tuesday falls on November 27. As we have in the past few years, Books for Keeps will use Giving Tuesday as an official launch for our year-end child sponsorship campaign. For 24 hours on that day, we will have a challenge in effect from the Books for Keeps board to bring in as many donations as possible toward a single goal. For each dollar we raise toward that goal, the Books for Keeps board will match those donations.

We’ll be ready to announce our goal a little closer to the date – for now, just mark your calendars. It’s a terrific opportunity to double your dollars donated to BFK – effectively sponsoring two children for every $30 you donate.

We have put these challenge goals on the table in the past, but this will be the first time our fundraising challenge is being put [...]

Written by special guest blogger, Camilla Bracewell
(part of a new monthly series)
I first learned about Books for Keeps (BFK) in one of the first years of the organization when volunteers were collecting used books to distribute to children in the classrooms. Our granddaughter and I did a small book drive in about 2012 and collected children’s books that we donated. In 2014, I volunteered at a book distribution, and I was hooked! Not too long after that, I was asked to serve on the board and I was honored and touched by that invitation. I have been on the board for the past 3 years.   
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When I think about why I am so committed to BFK, for me it is a no-brainer. I was raised in a home where reading and books were an important part of everyday life. We raised our daughter in a home, again, where reading and books were an important part of her life. When our granddaughter came along, I told my daughter that I would not be purchasing a lot of toys for her but that I would purchase books for her and that I would read to her at every opportunity…which my husband and I have done. To know that there are children in our community who do not have books in their home and who do not have someone to read to them on a regular basis breaks my heart. I can’t read to every child who wants or needs to be read to, but I can do all I can to ensure that those children have access to books each spring…and I will do that in any way possible for as long as I [...]