After coming in to wrap packages every Wednesday evening for a couple of years now, Marnie has stepped up to a new level of service. Starting September 4th, she will host the Wednesday evening volunteer shifts during the month of September.
What got you interested in BTP to begin with, or what made you start volunteering? Does it tie in to the rest of your life in any meaningful way?
My first-born saw a Books To Prisoners request for volunteers somewhere, and they passed it on to me saying, “Mom, this looks like you!”. I started volunteering the following week. I am a reader and firmly believe in the power of reading for education and entertainment, so this has been great fun for me.
It also ties in with my other volunteer job – I go to the Monroe Correctional Complex weekly to work with incarcerated individuals who foster shy cats and kittens through Monroe Corrections Kitten and Cat Connections program. In this program, we help participants provide quality, attentive foster care to cats who might otherwise have been euthanized, helping cats to become socialized and adoptable and providing incarcerated individuals with incentive to improve their lives.
Is there anything you especially like about volunteering with us? What are your favorite parts of the process?
I love the letters! They reflect a wide range of literacy levels and interests. I particularly enjoy the letters that give hints into the lives the requestors are leading during their incarceration. Some are looking for pure entertainment, some are entertaining wild interests and curiosities, and some are trying to prepare for a life outside of prison. My favorite thing is when someone requests a very specific title or topic, and we actually have something that fits the bill. It’s like the feeling of finding the perfect birthday gift for someone!
Everybody starts off by responding to letters, even if they eventually move on to wrapping or other tasks. Some of the letters can be memorable. Are there any requests that surprised you, or that you remember standing out in any way?
Yes, I took a photo of my favorite letter. It said, “I never really read before this point in my life, which is really a shame and kind of crazy to think about it. At the age of 35 I had only ever finished reading one book. That’s not to say I’m unedjucated (sic) but because of my struggles with reading while growing up… I had a bitter struggle with understanding what I had read. I pushed all that aside when I got here and put over eight hours each day into reading. I am happy to say that I have been able to read, complete, and understand all of the books I have read for the past year and a half.” He requested Japanese language books, college level education books, horror, and sci-fi. He also included requests for seven of his friends, and enclosed some stamps as a donation.
In the time that you’ve been here, do you think that your views on the prison system, or what it’s like to be incarcerated, have changed? Please feel free to talk about those views if you would like.
“We are all more than the worst thing we’ve ever done.” - Bryan Stevenson
Do you have any book recommendations for us? Is there anything you especially like to read in your spare time?
I’m currently reading and enjoying The Giant’s House by Elizabeth McCracken. It’s a good story and her writing is engaging and poetic. Some of my favorite authors are Carol Shields, Elizabeth Strout, Gabrielle Zevin, Cathleen Schine, Lydia Millet, Steven Rowley, Jean Hanff Korelitz…
Are there any other parting words that you’d like to share with whoever’s reading this?
Please VOTE!
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