Wednesday 26 December 2007

Books are for life - not just for Christmas


Well, as our childhood comics used to say: A Merry Christmas to all our readers...
We've been going flat out for a week to get as many books in place for Christmas as we could manage. First we went to the St Vincent de Paul's Christmas lunch on December 22. We had hoped to be able to spread out the books on a table at the side so people could come and help themselves. However, the planners had decided that the books should go on the serving table - after the dinner was finished. So rather than serving up books we were first press-ganged into serving the food! At last we got the books out onto the table and gave away around 100 books - including lots and lots of Miffy books which the Dutch publisher was kind enough to donate just before we left.
The following day we made our first delivery to the women's refuge in Gateshead. On Monday it was the turn of Skylight - part of Crisis . Here we brought the nice clean hardback novels which were left over from St Vincent de Paul as well as ESOL and maths teaching materials. The learning centre at Skylight is brilliant - there is so much people can learn there: literacy and numeracy, woodwork, bike fixing, car mechanics, art and creative writing to name but a few. And of course there is a computer lab and people who advise on housing, benefits and other problems.
Next we brought some Miffy books and French books to Women's Aid Newcastle to be sure there were enough new books for Christmas presents for the children and reading matter for some French-speaking African women living there. Since we were in the area we delivered a cargo of disposable nappies, women's hygiene products, disposable razors and shaving cream to Common Ground, who help needy families in the east of Newcastle. These items are essential basics which are donated far less often than the more obvious clothes and household linen.
On Christmas Day we went down to Sunderland YMCA to bring books for the youngsters living there. 'Books?' they said when I told them what I had brought... 'Yes, books, give them a try!'
Then back to Skylight to bring a handful of mandala books for the art department and to have a nice cuppa tea. It was great to see they had already put up a bookshelf in the hallway with a big sign saying Free Books - help yourself. (see above. I would have put the photo here if I knew how...)
One woman came up to me as I was leaving to say thanks for the books 'this is so great - I live for books'
Just what I need to hear!


Makes me wonder why I waste my time trying to make this work in the Netherlands - except that I know there are some people there who also 'live for books' and I hate to let them down, but I can't (and won't) do it by myself any more.

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