Coronavirus: Help Buy Books For Distance-Learners In Need

CHAPPAQUA, NY — The folks who organize the annual Chappaqua Children's Book Festival (still scheduled this year for Oct. 3) have a new goal: raising money to buy books for economically challenged students in Westchester. Books In Hands is a GoFundMe campaign to support the students who've been forced into distance learning this spring, but who have little or no access to books (and wifi) in any format.

The first round of Books In Hands will go to students in Mount Vernon and White Plains schools, and organizers hope to raise enough money to distribute books to students in Mount Kisco, Ossining and Yonkers.

"You can follow the link and donate," said Aimee Gautreau, one of the organizers of Books In Hands. "We hope to reach $60,000 by mid-May."

Organized by CCBF with the help of One Book Westchester and End Book Deserts and with the support of Barnes & Noble and participating local authors, Books In Hands plans to place packets in the hands of students as directed by the hardest hit school districts in the county. Those will be bags of age-appropriate books selected by teachers in each of the districts.

They will be distributed to students when families receive weekly grocery packs. The goal is to make the first delivery available as quickly as possible with a plan to have 5,000 packets distributed by mid-May.

Books In Hands wants to assure that kids all over Westchester have access to books while they are learning from home.

The first school districts to receive book bags will be Mount Vernon City School District and White Plains Public Schools. The organizers are hopeful expansion in the coming weeks can include students in Ossining, Yonkers and Mt. Kisco public schools.

Click here to donate to the Books In Hand Program.

About

The Chappaqua Children’s Book Festival is grassroots, all-volunteer effort, with community members working together so that children and teens can be inspired by their favorite authors. The Festival gives kids and families a chance to meet and interact with the creators of their favorite characters – to appreciate that there is a real person behind the art and the words on the page.

One Book Westchester is a new Literacy Initiative, just launched this past January, to form a Westchester County-wide book club. One Book Westchester will be presenting events all over the County, designed to promote the rich history and array of experiences found here in Westchester.

Founded by Educator Molly Ness, End Book Deserts is a podcast created to shine the spotlight on those building book oases in high-poverty communities. End Book Deserts hopes to raise awareness and advocacy for these communities with the hope that others will adapt similar programs, in their districts.

GoFundMe is a Patch partner.