DC14 Women’s Committee 2nd Annual Book Drive
In April of 2020, members of the DC14 Women’s Committee held their second annual Book Drive to collect books and donate them to a local nonprofit organization, Open Books, whose efforts help bring literacy programs to children in need throughout Chicago. Open Books sells the donated books through their two bookstore locations, using the profits to feed their student literacy programs. The company was founded by Stacy Ratner in 2006 and now has two store locations, based in the Pilsen and West Loop areas of Chicago where they employ adult volunteers who work with participants during literacy workshops.
The DC14 Women’s Committee is proud to support Open Books’ partnership with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library program. It provides access to free, age-appropriate books for children delivered directly to their homes every month. Each book is carefully selected by a panel of experts on childhood literacy and early education. This incredible resource continues from birth until age 5 and is now enriching Chicago’s youth!
Dan Hernandez, James Teruel and Victor Hernandez drop off donations from the 2nd Annual Book Drive at Open Books
Unfortunately, the 2ndAnnual Book Drive’s success was curtailed by COVID-19 and did not exceed last year’s numbers. Despite Illinois being locked down in “Stay at Home” orders from the Governor, they were still able to donate (15) boxes of books, magazines and other digital media. A heartfelt thanks goes out to all the brothers and sisters who helped enrich a young child’s life through their actions.
Open Books accepts donations of any size year-round, so it’s never too late to invest in our children’s future. You can get more information on their programs as well the nation-wide Imagination Library program at: open-books.org.