My Nonprofit Reviews

I have been volunteering with the Book Exchange for about 4 years and can testify to the impact of the work the organization does. Every week during the school year, we bring in about 100 local students on “literacy field trips” and let them choose free books to take home and keep. These students are from the most impoverished local communities, and many have few, if any, books at home. The volunteers work with the teachers ahead of time to select books of special interest to the students. These books are mostly donated by the community, but we also purchase some of the most popular books that are unlikely to have been donated. On the day of the field trip, there are about 10+ volunteers working with groups of about 25 students each to help them find books. The students are so excited to be able to choose their own books and so motivated that they often sit down on a rug and immediately start reading. It is a heart-warming sight!

It takes a tremendous amount of work on the part of our volunteers to sort through hundreds of donated books, shelve and arrange them in an organized but appealing manner, make all the logistical arrangements with the schools, work with the children when they come in to ensure that they leave with books appropriate for their reading level as well as books that pique their interest. We all do it willingly because we see the tremendous benefit for these children to have their own books at home. We also encourage the children to bring their families back to choose more books, thus encouraging the parents to read to their children.

The Book Exchange of Marin also works with other nonprofit organizations in the community to provide books to children in need, thus extending our reach beyond the schools and deep into the local under-resourced communities. It is truly satisfying to see children excited and motivated to read, as learning to read is key to unlocking their future potential.