faith
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THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX
uthor Anna Quindlen was the beginning of Operation once wrote in “How Sharing, now CAP’s largest and Reading Changed My farthest-reaching program. Life,” “Books are the plane, and the train, and the road. They are Books are the the destination, and the journey. They are home.” Nan Herald, plane, and the train, a 10-year-veteran of Breathitt and the road. County Public Schools understands that sentiment and has They are the worked to bring those experiences destination, and to readers, young and old alike for the past five years through Box the journey. Library. “We give out over 250,000 books per year,” Herald said. “Through Christian Appalachian Project’s (CAP) Operation Sharing we get to deliver these books for free to our community.” Books were the beginning of Operation Sharing. In 1986, then Vice President Bill Begley received a call from a friend for a donation of 29 truckloads of children’s books. CAP’s board approved an unbudgeted $50,000 to store the books and within a few months had distributed thousands of books to children in Appalachia. That first storage and distribution operation
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years old. The distribution is simple. Notify the public. Place large boxes brimming over with books for anyone to take. From the perspective of a child, Westin asked her, “Mommy, is this the Box Library?” and the name stuck.
The Breathitt County Literacy Team takes the lead to coordinate this annual event about twice a year. They receive support from the local Jackson Fire Department, Jackson Parks and Recreation, as well as local pastor John Bunn They are home. who promotes Box Library on his Anna Quindlen radio program. Family and friends publicize the event on social media “Box Library is a community as well as the local newspaper. thing,” said Herald, a family resource coordinator at Breathitt “All of the counties surrounding us County High School. “Everyone participate in Box Library,” Herald takes time to organize the event said. “All ages are welcome to take which provides boxes of books for books and they do: kids, adults, anyone who would like to take senior citizens. Sometimes it’s just them home. We also distribute people visiting the park where we other needed items that we get hold the distribution. They can from Operation Sharing such as take time out and get free books.” food, clothing, shoes, school supplies, and hygiene items.” According to Dr. Robert Cooter, reading researcher and former dean Herald’s son, Westin, named the of Bellarmine University’s School project when he was just three of Education, in a Kentucky Youth
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