Thank you to everyone who helped to make 2014 a success at Books to Prisoners! What did you help to accomplish last year?
In 2014, Books to Prisoners received:
623 requests from women and
10,763 requests from men
for a total of 11,386 requests.
(That’s more than 31 requests everyday last year!)
To fill these requests, 435 volunteers donated 3,300 hours of their time.
Together, we packaged over 15,000 donated books to send across the United States.
We participated in the 2014 Social Justice Film Festival, sponsored a downhill bike race in Seattle, moved our headquarters, and welcomed our first employee in our 40 year history.
We really couldn’t do it without you.
Whether you volunteered to read and package book requests, donated money and books, or spread the word on Facebook and Twitter,
THANK YOU!
We also remember a dedicated member of the Books to Prisoners community who passed away last year.
Barb Brown was a passionate, life-long volunteer. After graduating college, she entered the Peace Corps, where she was stationed in Kenya. Despite many setbacks–including being stricken by malaria twice!–she worked in the country for three years. After returning state-side to live on the east coast, she continued to volunteer as an English tutor for refugees and immigrants. Eventually, she made the eminently wise decision to return to Seattle. Even while working demanding hours for Microsoft and other tech companies, she still found time to work with soup kitchens and many other non-profits, including Books to to Prisoners. In the words of her sister, “It seemed to be a perfect match…her love of books and reading and her wish to help others.”
Barb included Books to Prisoners as part of her estate planning. Her gift ensures that thousands of prisoners across the country continue to receive packages of hope and literacy in the coming years. Barb will be remembered for her generosity and unflagging support of Books to Prisoners, both as a volunteer and a donor. She will be deeply missed.