The Gift of Literacy

Story by Jonisha Ash

At local Barnes & Noble stores this holiday season, Chicagoans can do some good as they do their holiday shopping.  While visiting one of the four metropolitan book stores, the message is loud and clear – and announced over the intercom throughout the day:

“‘Tis the season for giving a child the gift that will last a lifetime: the gift of literacy!”

The Barnes & Noble stores collect donated children’s books from Nov. 1 through the New Year for Children’s Home + Aid. The new books are given to children pre-Kindergarten through high school, most that are wards of the state or in foster homes.

On her bi-weekly pickup, Meghan Frelk, assistant director of development, board and auxiliaries for Children’s Home + Aid, collects books from each participating store. She finds this part of her job rewarding.

“Because of Barnes and Noble, these kids are able to get two or three books, depending on their wish lists,” Frelk said. “The store is great for doing this, and it helps that each store is doing its own part.”

Each of the four Barnes & Noble stores in the metropolitan area are involved with the holiday book drive – and each has its own goals and levels of participation.

At the store on State and Elm streets in the Loop, the goal is to collect 1,975 books and employees such as Doug Britt, assistant store manager, constantly talk about the program to encourage customer participation.  Employees discuss the program regularly and track sales numbers every night.

“Timeless classics like “Stone Soup” and “Casey at the Bat” should be on every child’s list,” Britt said. “I loved them, and they will too.”

Other employees also enthusiastically promote Children’s Home + Aid during the book drive. Nichole Swafford has worked at Barnes & Noble for four years and even donated a few books herself.

“Children’s Home + Aid ensures proper placement for the books,” Swafford said. “They help with the screening process to ensure the books get to a child in need.”

In the Chicago area alone, over 3,500 were collected last year and distributed to children and teens in the metropolitan area. The goal this year is to collect about 7,000 books total. So far, the stores have collected about 4,800, Frelk said.

Anne Barclay, assistant vice president to the metropolitan region for Children’s Home + Aid, says the organization is aiming to reach every child they’ve touched so they can get at least two books shipped to them for Christmas.

“We want exciting books to grab the kids’ attention like graphic novels, books in Spanish and sports books,” Barclay says. “I’ve been impressed with the quality and coolness of the books collected so far.”

Barclay attributes the expansion of the program to an employee at Barnes & Noble’s Deerfield Park store who lived next door to one of Children’s Home + Aid foster homes.

“She did a minor book drive before, but if she hadn’t gone to Barnes & Noble with it, then it wouldn’t be to the extent it is right now,” Barclay said.

Some of those first books collected were used to start a library at the Rice Child and Family Center in Evanston. Although the library only contains about 100-150 books, all were donated and most came from Barnes & Noble. The purpose of the library is to teach responsibility as children are expected to sign out and return books in the same condition.

“The ultimate goal of the Rice Child and Family Center is to help children who have been severely traumatized stabilize and return to a normal environment,” said Rich Bobbi, an employee for the center.

Children’s Home + Aid serves five geographic regions in Illinois out of their main office in the Chicago Loop. Next year, the organization will celebrate its 125th anniversary of providing eight core services to area children, Frelk said.

The organization provides adoption, child and family counseling, early childhood care and education, foster care, intact family services, parental support, residential services and youth services.

For more information about the book drive and other Children’s Home + Aid services, please contact Meghan Frelk at (312) 424-6826 or mfrelk@childrenshomeandaid.org.