My Experience Volunteering at this Year’s Barnes and Noble Holiday Book Drive
By: Desirae Landrum
Mission
Women’s Storybook Project prison program helps incarcerated mothers maintain contact with and bring comfort to their children. We help these mothers record stories and messages of love for their children and then mail the recordings along with the books so the children can hear their mother’s voice and know that she is thinking of them.
On November 10th, I was lucky enough to get the chance to volunteer at Barnes & Noble for Women’s Storybook Project with my fiance. We went to help spread the message of what Women’s Storybook Project stands for and collect book donations. It was a beautiful and eye opening experience I will never forget. The shift was only two hours long and I felt as though I had a chance to spread a strong message to a receptive audience.
We arrived at the Barnes & Noble in Round Rock for our shift at 2 pm not knowing what to expect. We went to the front counter where they handed us a bag that had pamphlets, bookmarks and buttons for our shirts to let everyone know we were working for a noble cause. We were both a little nervous because it was both of our first time volunteering. We approached a few people and were shocked by how receptive they were to the message. Almost everyone we spoke to was interested in Women’s Storybook Project’s message.
We met all kinds of people – young and old. There were people of different races, backgrounds and upbringings. I think it is beautiful what a common cause can do to bring people together. Not only did it bring strangers together, it also brought me and my fiance closer. I am so glad I was able to share this experience with the person I love most.
By the end of the shift, my fiance and I also decided to each donate a book too. I even informed my mom about what our mission was and she came to donate a book as well. In the picture I posted above you can see my fiance on the right teaching my mom more about the cause and the children who would benefit. All together it was a beautiful and eye opening experience that I would love to do again.
If you are interested in volunteering with Women’s Storybook Project you can contact them through email at: volunteer@storybookproject.org or you can call them at 512.861.5110. There are several different volunteer opportunities to cater to all different types of people. You can spread the message, donate, sort books or just inform your friends and family about the mission.