Community rallies behind effort

By Sarah M. Corigliano

Assistant Managing Editor

SPRINGFIELD The efforts of several local organizations have paid off in over 200,000 books donated for schools and libraries affected by Gulf Coast hurricanes in 2005.

Last week, Springfield Kiwanis Club member John Sessions told The Reminder that its book drive for Reader to Reader, Inc., a public charity that builds school libraries at poor schools across the country, has brought in over 3,000 books each day. Last Thursday, he said they had reached 4,000 books a day.

In addition to seeking book donations, Reader to Reader founder and executive director, David Mazor, said his charity has already begun work to rebuild libraries in Louisiana and Mississippi.

The book drive began in September and, with the help of Sessions and several area KEY Clubs, the response has been enormous.

KEY stands for Kiwanis Educating Youth, and the clubs are service organizations, guided by local Kiwanians, in local high schools.

"John Sessions was very enthusiastic about getting KEY Clubs involved and that really opened a huge effort there," he said.

Sessions said he knew the Kiwanis Club could help in a big way if he could get the right team together.

"I knew we had seven high school KEY clubs who we could turn loose [on the community]," he said.

While the main collection site in Springfield is at Old First Church, Sessions said the project has been bolstered by the Boys and Girls Club of Springfield, which has offered to be a collection site, and several corporate sponsors.

With books from thousands of donors and counting, boxes and tape from Staples in West Springfield and boxes from Springfield Corrugated Box in Agawam, and delivery services offered by Bekins Van Lines, Beacon Trucking and Sulco, a division of Sullivan Trucking; Sessions said he and other volunteers will keep collecting through the July deadline. At that time, Mazor said, all the books will be packed and shipped off to where they are needed most. He said July was chosen as the deadline because many schools in the most devastated areas probably won't reopen until then.

The first shipment of books was sent to Louisiana in November by Bekin Van Lines, Mazor said. The subsequent shipments will be sent to each state's Department of Education so that they can be distributed where they are needed. Sessions also noted that, once delivered to Old First Church, the books are inspected for quality and content to be sure they are appropriate for the schools and libraries where they will be sent. They are also packed in boxes by grade level.

Anyone interested in volunteering to help pack books in Springfield may call Sessions at 786-1003 or Old First Church at 737-1411. Donations are accepted at the Church, at the Springfield Boys and Girls Club, and are also collected by KEY Club members in their communities.

Donations in Amherst may be dropped off at 38 Woodside Ave., care of the Cadigan Center (at Amherst College) and more information about the book drive or Reader to Reader, Inc. may be obtained by calling 413-256-8595 or e-mailing dmazor@readertoreader.org, or go to www.readertoreader.org/.