Those of you who've been to our building recently know that we've now cleared the shelves of nearly ALL of our books. What remains are workshop leader titles, our stellar lit journal collection, and some newer, craft-related titles. What happened, you may ask.
Well, in July--while I was on vacation, actually--The Writer’s Center donated more than 5,000 used books—nearly its entire stock—to a group of five local non-profit organizations. The donation is part of a book drive launched by a group of committed individuals headed by DC resident Keianna Dixon, and is part of a larger call to action by President Obama known as United We Serve. The goal of the book drive, according to Dixon, is to “serve low-income and impoverished families in Washington.”
As a nonprofit organization determined to promote literacy and a strong, lasting book culture, The Writer’s Center is pleased that its donation—a collection many years in the making—will give back to the community of which it is a part.
The donated books will be distributed to the following DC organizations:
Girls, Inc. (www.girlsincdc.org)
Girls, Inc. serves the DC girls by inspiring them to “be smart, strong and bold.” “There is still a wide gap between what women and men earn. Women earn 76% of a man’s salary in the same job with the same educational background. To close this gap, girls must conquer social, legal and cultural barriers that are different than those faced by boys. By providing space and programming that is targeted specifically to girls, their needs and their challenges, Girls Inc. is able to prepare girls to be on the same playing field as boys and to help close this unfair gap.” Their locations are the Trinidad Recreation Center in Ward 5 and the Ft. Davis Community Center in Ward 7.
Operation Give (www.operationgive.org)
Operation Give provides humanitarian aid as well as everyday items to civilians in non-combat zones. The aid is distributed by US military personnel, giving them the opportunity to connect with civilians and grow their local economies by providing resources in a struggling and fragile environment. “The mission of Operation Give is to bring hope and happiness to struggling people the world over by helping them to gain access.”
Community Council For The Homeless (www.cchfp.org)
The Community Council for the Homeless serves the upper Northwest area of DC, identifying at risk populations and providing education services as well as transitional supportive services. The Community Council for the Homeless strives to bring services to the homeless to help them integrate back into the community at large.
Washington Literacy Council (www.washingtonliteracycouncil.org)
The Washington Literacy Council works to raise the level of literacy of adults and children in the nation’s capital. By providing support services and a safe, motivating environment, the Washington Literacy Council helps its students meet their personal developmental goals. The organization is also committed to raising public awareness about illiteracy and the benefits of their programming.
Community for Creative Non Violence (http://users.erols.com/ccnv)
The Community for Creative Non Violence provides a wide range of services for the DC’s poor and at risk population. The organization provides food, shelter, education, health services, and drug abuse prevention programs in the nation’s capitol. The Community for Creative Non Violence is a 1,350 bed facility, one of the largest and most inclusive in the country.
In addition to partnering with United We Serve, The Writer's Center is also pleased to work with Better World Books. The United We Serve book drive ended July 29, but Better World Books accepts donations throughout the year. Better World Books takes pride in being a global bookstore that harnesses the power of capitalism to bring literacy and opportunity to people around the world. If you have a closet-full of used books you’d like to donate, consider www.betterworldbooks.com. When you use Better World Book’s services, you’re contributing to individual literacy throughout the world, and what’s more: You can send your used books to them for free.
Over the years, many people in our community have donated their used books to The Writer's Center, and we want to take this time to thank you for your donations. Thanks to your contributions, we were able to impact the lives of people not just in our little corner of Maryland but also those less fortunate from DC to Afghanistan.
We appreciate your continued support.
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