Even those in book deserts deserve access to reading

AMHERST, NH – Ever heard of a book desert? They exist – they are places where people do not have free and easy access to books. Annabelle Moriarity wanted to address this situation by providing access to books and literacy resources for children age 6-12 in southern New Hampshire. She collected and distributed more than 1,000 books, earning the Girl Scout Silver Award, the highest honor possible for a Girl Scout in grades 6-8.

Annabelle, 13, of Girl Scout Troop 58250 in Amherst, created book and literacy kits and donated them to public schools in Nashua, the Boys & Girls Clubs, the Nashua Children’s Home, Marguerite’s Place, St. Gianna’s Place, and other community organizations.

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“I grew up in a household where we would always read bedtime stories,” she said. “I think every child should get to experience that. It is one of my core childhood memories and I don't want kids to miss out just because their family doesn't have access to books."

Each kit included a book, craft supplies for a hands-on activity connected to reading, and family resource guides designed to encourage literacy and reading engagement at home.

“In addition to collecting and distributing books,” Annabelle said, “I educated others about the issue of book deserts and the importance of having books in the home. I shared information about the project through community outreach, social media, and local events, including a community book swap.”

Matthew Fentross, executive director of Nashua Children’s Home, was grateful to receive 37 bags each containing a book, a pamphlet of notes Beyond the Book, a fun guide to build a character social media profile, an encouraging card, and a pen.

“Your kindness and effort is making a real difference in the lives of the children we serve as well as children in your community,” he said.

Debbie Dubreuil, reading and writing specialist at Memorial Elementary School, was also thankful for the donation.

“We gave out the books this past week as part of an end-of-year summer reading activity,” she said, “and the kids absolutely loved receiving them! They were so excited to choose their books, and it was wonderful to see the joy on their faces. Your generosity is helping foster a love of reading and giving students something special to enjoy over the summer.”

Annabelle made use of a $250 Take Action Mini Grant offered by the Girl Scout council. Further costs were covered with troop funds earned through Fall Product, Girl Scout Cookie sales, a holiday craft fair, and her family. Take Action Mini grants are provided by the council for projects like Annabelle’s and is made possible by individual donors.

Annabelle said most of the donations came from her book drive.

"To gather all the books, I hosted a month-long book drive in January,” she said. “Junction 71 in Merrimack, Wilkins Elementary School in Amherst, Robin's Egg in Amherst and Balin Books in Nashua all hosted collection boxes to collect new and gently used books. This is where a majority of the books came from. The rest were donated by friends of our family."

This ambitious Girl Scout should soon wrap up her work and be recognized with the Girl Scout Silver Award.

"Through this project, I have learned to be grateful for the little things,” she said. “I feel like before this project, I just expected things and never really thought much of it. I feel like everyone should experience helping their community because it has forever changed my perspective on the way I live my life."

All Girl Scouts do work to make the world a better place, but Annabelle Moriarity is making a lasting impact on the children she has helped through her Silver Award work. Find out how you or your child can benefit from joining Girl Scouts at www.girlscoutsgwm.org.

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