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TRULY HISTORICAL ALEXANDER HAMILTON HISTORICAL SOCIETY KEEPS THE PAST ALIVE “He’s such a gifted writer, and a brilliant person,” says Olympia, who also cofounded Many people are familiar with the musical the Beargrass-St. Matthews Historical “Hamilton,” but if you ask Lynn Olympia, Society. “He writes like a poet. Once you founder of Louisville’s Alexander Hamilton start you can’t put it down. He wrote about Historical Society of Kentucky, there’s much George Washington too.” to learn about the founding father and his political philosophy.

There are also Hamilton societies in Philadelphia and New York. The society “He loved America,” Olympia says. “He was here in Louisville meets to discuss topics brilliant. He started the first bank and the in history.

Coast Guard.”

“We have a full house, and a big crowd,” says Olympia began the society after reading Olympia, who has retired from a leadership the bestseller “Alexander Hamilton” by role but is still active with the group.

Ron Chernow about 13 years ago. The book was chosen as one of the 10 best There are typically speakers through year books of the year by the “New York Times,” who talk about the era of the founding and helped to inspire the award-winning fathers. In January it was John McLeod musical as well. from University of Louisville, who spoke about the book “Contest for Liberty.” Past Olympia says Chernow’s book includes events have focused on Thomas Paine, Paul comprehensive coverage of Hamilton’s Revere’s ride, and the First Amendment. story, and allows the reader to become familiar with his life and successes.

Each February the Society hosts a symposium with Bellarmine University’s Photography Provided

Political Science Department on the subject of the Constitution. Bellarmine Professor Dr. Aaron Hoffman is on the board.

The Society began meeting in St. Matthews Eline Library, but moved to Crescent Hill due to schedule conflicts with the library.

The organization was first promoted by an article in the local newspaper, and grew from there according to Olympia.

“We always have good speakers - that’s key,” she says. “We have professors from the University of Louisville, Bellarmine and Spalding to review and recommend books, most about early history. There’s no political agenda.”

In 2006 Olympia was at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City and saw a New-York Historical Society exhibit titled “Future of America,” which included lifesized statues depicting Hamilton’s duel with Aaron Burr.

“Author Richard Brookhiser was a guest

6 / ST. MATTHEWS MAGAZINE / DECEMBER 2020 / StMatthewsMag.com

“HAMILTON IS SO IMPORTANT IN THE FOUNDING OF OUR COUNTRY” speaker,” she says. “It was quite a thrill.

Replicas of the two statues were brought for a program at the main library. It was a thrill to be part of.”

Board Member Ann Durbin has been involved with the group since she and her late husband, an American history buff, met Olympia at the library.

“Lynn finds great speakers every month,” Durbin says. “She has speakers lined up for a year, and still attends meetings. It is Lynn’s baby.”

Upcoming speakers include Dr. William Nash and McLeod.

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“Hamilton is so important in the founding of our country,” Olympia says. “That’s why I started the society after reading the book.

Hamilton is my favorite person. He grew up in Nevis. He wrote about a hurricane for the local newspaper and no one could believe a 12-year-old could write so well. His boss (Nicholas) Cruger sent him to America to attend Columbia.”

Hamilton was born on the island of Nevis in the West Indies. At King’s College, later Columbia, he wrote his first political pamphlet in support of the first Continental Congress. In 1775 he joined the New York state militia, later becoming an aide to George Washington. He later helped found the Bank of New York and the “New York Evening Post,” and was a member New York Manumission Society, an anti-slavery group.

Washington nominated him as the first Secretary of the Treasury in 1789. He died in 1804 after being shot in a duel with Vice President Aaron Burr.

The society typically meets every third Saturday at the Masonic Home on Frankfort Avenue, but meetings have gone virtual due to COVID-19 and are now held via Zoom.

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SANTA’S LITTLE HELPERS, INC. N O N P R O F IT ASSI STS LO C A L FOST E R C H I L D R E N Writer / Julie Engelhardt Photography Provided

When you hear the term “Santa’s Little Helpers,” visions of tiny creatures scurrying about St. Nick’s workshop making toys might come to mind. Yet for one woman, that phrase has a very different, and very special, meaning.

received three degrees - a bachelor’s in sociology, a master’s in higher education administration, and a master’s in counseling psychology. She and her husband Wynobie have a young daughter, Alena. Williams is an educator as well as a book author and screenwriter. She also has an unwavering love for the Christmas season, hence the name of her nonprofit.

Michelle Thompson Williams is the founder of a local nonprofit organization called Santa’s Little Helpers, Inc. (SLHI). Williams started the program three years ago as a way to assist Jefferson County’s foster children population. Their mission is to build selfesteem and confidence in foster children through a foundation of literacy, personal growth and development. Their goal is to help impact the livelihood of foster children in Kentucky and Southern Indiana by providing them with the tools to become productive citizens.

“When I was a kid, the best time of the year for us was Christmas,” she says.

“Things were calm, things were happy, and things were just good. Christmas was just a joyous occasion.”

Williams was raised in a household of eight children - six girls and two boys by a single mother, Earlene Thompson.

After high school, Williams attended the University of Louisville, where she

Her mother was a homemaker for a while, and during Christmas she would bake cakes and cookies as well as gingerbread houses from scratch.

She, like all children, couldn’t wait until Christmas morning, anticipating what presents she was going to receive. However, there was another reason she loved Christmas so much.

“It was because of my mom,” she says.

10 / DECEMBER 2020

“I remember walking into the kitchen and seeing the patterns for the houses, and smelling the gingerbread,” Williams says. “I would watch her put these houses together, very meticulously, and they were decorated with all of this candy. It was just amazing.”

For Williams, it was a magical time. It wasn’t just about the presents. It was about the smells, the feelings, the sounds of music, and the all-around Christmas season.

Williams’ mother worked tirelessly to provide for her family, as well as a young man she brought into her home and fostered for some time. Yet, there were occasions when she did turn to others for help.

“That very first year we were on our own, she signed us up for a program through the Chamber of Commerce so we could have gifts,” Williams says. “I remember going and sitting on Santa’s lap and having pictures taken, and then they’d send us home with lots of presents. There were people out there stepping in to help those in need.”

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Williams says her first memory of this was when she was about eight.

Many years later, Williams and her daughter were at home watching Christmas movies on TV when a particular show caught her attention. It was called “Christmas Oranges,” which is about a foster home for young girls who receive an orange for Christmas if they behave.

“This movie was part of my inspiration for the organization,” Williams says. “I had a thought - there are kids out there, like foster children, who may not receive anything for Christmas. This feeling of sadness just came over me, and that is when I came up with Santa’s Little Helpers, Incorporated.”

Williams told her daughter about it, and she became excited and wanted to help her mother. Her husband also wanted to lend his assistance.

Williams began doing research on foster

children and the services provided to them in the Louisville area, and she also gathered information about residential facilities. She pulled her board together, which consists of Williams and her sisters Angela Howard and Sharon Ray. Their very first program, Pajamas for Children, took place at Christmas time in 2017.

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SLHI also works with Operation Open Arms, Inc., a private child-placement agency whose mission is to provide loving home environments to children whose mothers are incarcerated.

“I reached out to Joann Childers, who is the activity director at St. Joseph Children’s Home in Louisville,” Williams says. “I wanted to establish a relationship

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with them. I asked her if they needed pajamas for the kids, because pajamas are universal - everyone needs pajamas.

She and I worked together and compiled a list of the children and what sizes were needed. We then went shopping and got the pajamas, wrapped them up and dropped them off for Christmas. The kids were super excited.”

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“We work with them to provide bags of supplies filled with clothes, pajamas, books, toys, underwear, socks and other items,” Williams explains.

SLHI has other programs in the works.

“We’ve implemented a new program called Keep Our Kids Reading,” Williams says.

“We’ve noticed the access to books is limited due to libraries closing and schools being closed due to COVID-19. Libraries have made huge efforts to be in different spots and give out books that way, or allow people to schedule appointments for pickup, but we wanted to make books a little more accessible.”

In order to make books available to children, SLHI took two steps.

“We purchased a Little Free Library and put that right outside of the Hobby Lobby store in the Springhurst Towne Center,” Williams says. “We had to go through their

nonprofit and actually purchase the library.

Basically, it was about $600 because you have to buy the library plus you have to buy the post it sits on. The libraries are made by the Amish.”

The library was shipped to Williams, who then contacted the property manager at Springhurst to see if she could install it next to the store.

“He was amazing,” she says. “He was excited, he said this will be great, and said they wanted to do more for kids anyway.”

Her husband painted the library and helped install it at its spot.

followers on social media during the next couple of weeks,” she says.

The grand opening for the Little Free Library took place on July 24. The event also served as a way to introduce the community to Santa’s Little Helpers, Inc. According to Williams, more than 120 people came.

Williams checks on the Little Free Library every Sunday to see how many books are still there, and if they need to add new books.

“Our visibility grew and we gained a lot of

“Up to this point we’ve put in over 150 books,” she says.

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Besides receiving books from the public library, SLHI also received five boxes filled with books, even before the library opened, from Half Price Books on Westport Road. They also have a partnership with the Scholastic Literacy program.

“This allows us to purchase books at a discounted price once all of the books we had are gone,” Williams says.

Another program SLHI runs is called the Book Bag Project.

“We work with the Cabinet for Family and Health Services to donate bags with books in them,” Williams says. “These are given to social workers, so when they pick up a child they can give them a bag to put their belongings in.”

SLHI also began providing virtual story time programs in October, starting with a fall-themed program, then a Thanksgiving

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SLHI has many new plans for the upcoming year.

“In 2021 we will be starting the Future Forward Program,” Williams says. “With this program we’re targeting high school-aged kids. The purpose is to help these children plan for the future. Our focus is going to be helping them explore different pathways

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based on their passions and interests, to guide them to their next step after foster care.

We want to give them their toolkit so they are ready to move forward in life.”

For more info on Santa’s Little Helpers, Inc., including donation details, go to santaslittlehelpersinc.com and call 502822-6819. If you’d like to donate children’s books to their Little Free Library, the library is located at 4301 Towne Center Drive in Louisville.

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Holly Jolly

STORY TELLERS How Anthology Senior Living is spreading holiday cheer across Louisville Do you remember the magic of your grandparents’ storytelling?

Gathered around the Christmas tree, curled up with a cup of cocoa, the whole family would go silent to listen as the words leaped off the page. At Anthology Senior Living of Louisville, residents are looking to bring their holiday traditions into your home this Christmas season.

“Christmas is one of my favorite time of year,” Anthology resident, Mary K. said. “I’m a very sentimental person and the joy of season makes me feel closer to my family and our traditions.”

Residents at Anthology Senior Living of Louisville are partnering with a local radio station, 106.9 Play, to spread holiday cheer in the Louisville community.

“With the holidays looking very different this year, we have to build connections via phone calls and video calls,” Anthology of Louisville Director of Virtue Memory Care, Molly Gunn said. “This gives loved ones and those that are missing their grandparents an opportunity to have them read Christmas stories and for all of us to feel closer although we are far apart.”

December 9-25, tune in to 106.9 Play at 9 PM to hear a Christmas story read by local seniors. Titles will include A Christmas Carol, The Night Before Christmas, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, and more.

“With the 2020 Christmas Season quickly approaching, we felt, having our favorite Christmas stories read by real grandparents, just like they did when we were kids, would help bring a little more joy to our community.” Eric Fow, GSM of Summit Media said. “We are so happy to partner with Anthology Senior Living of Louisville to help bring these stories to life!”

The partnership with 106.9 PLAY is just a small facet of Anthology Senior Living’s commitment to keeping its residents engaged. Anthology Senior Living’s physically distanced social calendar of activities includes happy hours and catered programming to resident interests, all while keeping residents and their loved ones safe with robust safety protocols.

Anthology Senior Living offers personal care and memory care surrounded by a beautifully designed community with welcoming indoor and outdoor spaces. It’s a place where life is enriched by quality care, ample amenities, and worldclass support. Sophisticated accommodations at Anthology Senior Living provide all the comfort of home, with the luxury of a 24-hour team.

Programming at Anthology Senior Living focuses on six dimensions of wellness: emotional, intellectual, environmental, physical, spiritual, and emotional. All six dimensions are interconnected, strengthening individuals and the community as a whole with a diverse array of daily activities to stimulate the mind, body, and spirit.

The quality of care provided at Anthology Senior Living of Louisville is extremely innovative and high-tech. Each resident has a customized care plan that is monitored by a compassionate care team. Team members at Anthology Senior Living are certified in CARES, a nationally renowned training program through the Alzheimer’s Association.

Anthology Senior Living of Louisville is located at 1105 Dorsey Lane Louisville, KY. For a limited time, lock in your rate through December 2021. Call 440-565-5473 or visit AnthologySeniorLiving.com/Louisville to schedule your tour today! To learn more about 106.9 Play’s Christmas Stories, visit www.1069PLAY.com.

With modern charm and an inviting neighborly spirit, Anthology Senior Living of Louisville is a place for seniors to continue their life story with joy and connection.

DECEMBER 2020 / 15

Abigail Hagerman, Dorislee Gilbert, Cassie Drochelman

Victim Advocacy Organization Turns 20 Writer / Angela Boggs Photography Provided

On December 6, 1993, Mary Byron celebrated her 21st birthday. She was murdered that evening by her abusive exboyfriend, who waited for her in a parking lot as she left work. She believed he was in jail for previously attacking her. Many thought Byron’s death was avoidable.

If she had known this dangerous man had posted bail, she could have taken precautions for her safety and survived that night.

On the one-year anniversary of her murder, the first automatic notification system for crime victims, called VINE (Victim Information and Notification Everyday)

was launched in Jefferson County. VINE is now used across the nation. It is a product of Appriss, a local company with global reach. For Byron’s parents, Pat and John Byron, as well as the creators of VINE and community leaders, VINE was a start but not enough. Seven years after Byron’s death, the Mary Byron Project was founded to help end intimate partner violence.

director of the Mary Byron Project.

The leaders of the organization honor Byron and her memory by working to end domestic partner violence.

Sadly, more than 25 years after Byron’s death, domestic abuse is still at a high level in the U.S.

“We want to do right by Mary,” Gilbert says.

“This is her legacy. Many people remember Mary and what happened, and there was a response from the community to work on positive changes. What really reached people and made them take action was how Mary’s former boyfriend was released, and she didn’t know. She felt safe and tried to go on with her life.”

“It is a real problem, happening to so many - 12 million victims each year, three in 10 women and one in 10 men negatively impacted,” says Dorislee Gilbert, executive

In the 20 years since it was created, the Mary Byron Project has given more than $1 million to fund solutions for addressing domestic partner violence nationwide.

16 / DECEMBER 2020

Past recipients include DV LEAP, the Battered Women’s Justice Project, Sojourner House, Providence House Domestic Violence Services, and the New York Legal Assistance Group’s Project Eden.

Gilbert, an attorney and veteran prosecutor, began as executive director in 2019 after Marcia Roth, founding director, retired.

Project leaders decided to focus on a statewide legal program to end intimate partner violence.

One way the Mary Byron Project helps is by representing survivors in court appeals related to intimate partner violence. An appeal allows a victim to ask other judges to look at a lower court’s decision to determine whether it is valid.

“Appeals can cost a lot and require specialized, technical knowledge,” Gilbert says. “Often students or legal aid represent victims in the original case, but the same resources are not available for appeals. The

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Mary Byron Project provides free, expert legal representation on appeal and impactful training for the legal community.“ The Mary Byron Scholars program at Assumption High School helps to raise awareness and counsel teens on how to educate classmates about dating violence.

Byron was a 1991 graduate of Assumption.

“My heart has always been in these cases,” Gilbert adds. “When the people hurting you are the people who are supposed to love you, it’s a lonely and frightening place to be.

Someone has to step in to say love doesn’t look like that.”

Regarding her journey to the Mary Byron Project, Gilbert says she initially spoke with Roth about participating.

“I looked at similar programs in D.C. and California,” she says. “I knew that I could be part of change for individual survivors and systemic change that would positively

influence all domestic violence cases.

As a prosecutor, I saw the frustration at how the system works, the difficulties in keeping victims safe, and the need for more understanding of intimate partner violence throughout the justice system. The Mary Byron Project is making positive change in these areas.”

This fall the organization is launching a virtual 20th anniversary event to celebrate accomplishments, raise awareness, and continue to bring positive change. As it has for many others, COVID-19 has brought challenges, but project leaders have continued to represent survivors in appeals and have held many trainings and events online.

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Former Director, Marcia Roth, presenting Roth Award to the Migrant Clinicians Network.

While Gilbert emphasizes that the justice system should be a place where those who have been victimized by intimate partners can turn for legal protection, she insists that our individual behaviors make a difference. She says the riskiest time for victims of intimate partner violence is when they try to leave the relationship, and she offers hope.

“When we as individuals listen to victims

Pay Byron, Mary’s mother, receiving the Community Service Award from the Kentucky Council on Crime and Delinquency.

Mary Byron

without judging how we think they should have reacted, and when we discourage gender-based stereotypes and biases that excuse and allow abuse to flourish, we make the world a safer place to survive and escape intimate partner violence,” Gilbert says.

the Louisville area domestic violence shelter, or the National Domestic Violence Hotline. The Center’s toll-free number is 1-844-237-2331, and its website is thecenteronline.org. The Hotline can be reached at 1-800-799-7233, and its website is thehotline.org.

Gilbert says victims who are currently experiencing abuse can obtain assistance from the Center for Women and Families,

For more information on the Mary Byron Project, visit marybyronproject.org, and call 502-992-3444.

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7 HELPFUL HOLIDAY SHOPPING TIPS

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It always feels like the holiday season comes around and many people start looking for ways to save. Who doesn’t love to put money back in their pocket?

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1. MAKE A LIST AND BUDGET Many people make a list of who they want to buy for and what they’d like to receive, so feel free to make a list and check it twice.

Not everyone operates according to a budget, but it’s not a bad idea to project how much you’ll spend on each person. This year, write it down. Make a budget and stick

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to it. Not only is this helpful for spreading the love evenly, but it’s also much better for your bank account. Once you are done shopping for certain things, check them off your list and record how much you spent.

2. PLAN TO BUY LESS As stated before, we often plan to buy fewer gifts than in previous years, but end up with more than enough presents to fit under the tree. Think outside the box. Some of the best gifts aren’t the biggest, but the most thoughtful. Stick to the philosophy of “Something to wear, something to read, something they want, and something they need,” and see how that goes. If you hate it, you can buy more next year.

3. SHOP EARLY Sometimes it’s hard to plan ahead in these crazy times of uncertainty, but this is one thing you should do if you can. When you shop early, it spreads out your expenses to make the process more bearable, and sometimes you can get amazing deals.

This can alleviate the stresses of lastminute shopping.

4. SHOP LOCAL There are many local shops that need us

this holiday season. Go directly to your favorite local retailer or visit a website like TruLocal.com, where you can shop online through your hometown favorites and pick up curbside. You can save on shipping, give back to your community, and find unique and fun gifts for your family.

cookies, or even hats and mittens if you knit.

Many people appreciate handmade items, and they come with a little extra love.

7. TRY SOMETHING NEW

Maybe this year is a little different, but that doesn’t mean it has to be less joyful. Maybe this is the year when you draw names as a 5. SHOP AROUND family, so that each family member doesn’t Do your research. Don’t jump the gun need to purchase as much as in past years. on buying something. Check out all the Perhaps you’ve considered giving gifts like places where you can find a certain item, memberships to museums or zoos - gifts and look for the best price. You can even that go beyond the holiday season. Maybe price-match at many stores these days. you’ve even thought about forgoing gifts Keep your smartphone handy to look up altogether, and instead plan to give to others prices on other sites quickly. The best things as a family. Encourage your little ones to get for your budget and bank account during in on this too. They can go around collecting the holidays are discounts and coupons. canned goods to donate to a soup kitchen, Also, check into cash-back programs like money for meals for hospital workers, or Rakuten. These can be easy ways to recoup a donations for a favorite charity. little cash if you are shopping online.

Whatever you do this holiday season, remember the reason for the season. It’s a 6. THINK HOMEMADE time to share in love and joy. Gifts are not Do you make a particular type of pie or all that matter, so don’t stress about those fudge that everyone loves? Homemade too much. While this year may look a little items, edible or not, can garner lots of love different, enjoy it. Sometimes the experiences and appreciation from others. Taking time we have that are different, and not quite what out of your life to make gifts is the perfect way to trim spending this year. There’s a lot we expected or hoped for, are the best and most memorable. Happy holidays. of inspiration online, but think ornaments,

26 / ST. MATTHEWS MAGAZINE / DECEMBER 2020 / StMatthewsMag.com

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Booking It BOOK RESCUE LOUISVILLE GIVES NEW LIFE TO USED BOOKS in boxes or even on bookshelves that are never picked up after they are first read. Wise Ever since he was a little boy, Chris Wise wanted to find a way to get those books into has been a book lover. Even before he could the hands of people who would utilize them. read, he cherished sitting on his parent’s laps After all, as Wise says, “Books are meant to be as they read him bedtime stories. read. They aren’t beneficial to anyone if they aren’t given another opportunity to be read “My parents instilled in me from a young again by someone else.” age the importance of books and reading,” says Wise. “Books are essential, especially His whole mindset shifted and suddenly in children, not only to gain knowledge he changed his focus from sniffing out but also to explore new worlds through the rare books to simply collecting books of pages of a book and your imagination.” all genres—mystery, romance, children’s, fiction, nonfiction—so that he could share Wise, who works 50 hours a week at a them with others in the community. full-time job, has engaged in a hobby of tracking down rare books and selling them “I wanted to take books to people who on Amazon. A few months ago, however, could benefit from them,” says Wise, inspiration struck when Wise thought, who in June 2019 launched Book Rescue “Wouldn’t it be great if I could help books Louisville. Currently, Book Rescue find their way to people at no cost?”

Louisville offers a free book removal service to individuals, businesses, schools, He got to thinking about how many used churches, libraries, and anyone else who books the average household has stored away has books they no longer want or need.

Writer / Christy Heitger-Ewing

Wise picks up the books from any location in the Louisville area and surrounding counties at no charge. All books are accepted, regardless of genre or condition.

For the most part, it’s a one-man operation though Wise has recruited his wife, kids, and father to assist with book pick-ups and deliveries. In addition, his dad, Tom, has graciously loaned Wise his van. Since Wise is busy weekdays with his full-time job, he usually does book pick-ups and deliveries on Sundays.

“We do not add any books to landfills, although a small percentage may be recycled, depending on their condition,” says Wise, who notes that around five to ten percent of the books are sold to recoup some of his overhead costs. The remaining books are donated to those in need around parts of Louisville and surrounding counties.

“I’m not making a living off this by any

StMatthewsMag.com / DECEMBER 2020 / ST. MATTHEWS MAGAZINE / 29

means, but that’s okay because that was never the point,” says Wise. “Basically, I want to take books anywhere they will be used.”

Wise admits that it’s rather easy finding books during yard sale season. He simply contacts people who are having sales, explains his mission, then asks that if they have any books left over following the sale if they would mind if he picks them up.

“The response has been really good,” says Wise, noting that one time he came across a former teacher who gave him ten boxes of children’s books, which he donated to a large nonprofit in Louisville called the Home of the Innocents, whose mission is to enrich the lives of children and families with hope, health, and happiness.

“They were so appreciative to get the books,” says Wise. “That’s my favorite donation so far.”

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30 / ST. MATTHEWS MAGAZINE / DECEMBER 2020 / StMatthewsMag.com

Sometimes Wise collects a handful of books.

Others times it’s a box or two or three.

“Right now the back of my van is full of books. So is my garage,” says Wise. “They’re spilling into the house.”

But as quickly as he collects them, he works to find places to give them away.

He’s already distributed hundreds of books to several nonprofit organizations as well as some Little Free Libraries. Going forward, he wants to focus mainly on providing free used books to inner city schools, daycare centers, hospitals, assisted living facilities, nursing homes, churches, homeless shelters, Little Free Libraries, and any other organization that would benefit from reading them, whether it be for casual reading or educational purposes. He also donates books to a friend who runs a homeless outreach program in Louisville.

become a nonprofit organization. He would Since he started Book Rescue Louisville, Wise also like to find a way to partner with thrift stores, used bookstores, Goodwill, and/or estimates having collected and distributed thousands of books. And he looks forward to the library—anyone who has an abundance of books. But his ultimate goal is to be delivering thousands more. So far response, known as “the book guy.” both from the donors and recipients of the books, has been extremely positive.

“I want people to think, ‘I’ve got books.

I’m going to call Chris!’” says Wise, “There have been several pick-ups where whose motto is, “Used Books, New Life” people tell me how glad they are that their books are going to a good home,” says Wise. (#UsedBooksNewLife).

Since the organization is still in its infancy stages, Wise is not yet set up as a nonprofit organization so any book donation is not tax deductible. In the future, however, he does plan to take the legal steps necessary to

Not surprisingly, one of Wise’s favorite pastimes is reading.

“I have a nightstand with ten books on it—mostly nonfiction. Lots of biographies,” says Wise. “I like to read a chapter or two every day.”

Right now, Wise’s main goal is to spread the word and let the community know that Book Rescue Louisville exists.

“It may sound cliché, but my purpose is to give back to others—to do something positive for the community,” says Wise.

“If I can somehow help get a book into the hands of someone and that, in turn, helps someone who is maybe going through a hard time or is in need of a boost in their mood or their life, well, that makes this job worthwhile.”

As his organization grows and gains momentum, Wise hopes to also provide donations to prisoners in jail as well as seek out additional homeless organizations.

“I’d like these folks to read books and get inspired to better themselves,” says Wise.

“Knowing that I could aid in some small part of that really propels my purpose.”

One thing that makes Book Rescue Louisville unique is the free personalized pick-up service. According to Wise, no other organization in the area does such a thing.

And his pick-up services currently extend outside of Louisville to surrounding counties.

“Perhaps one day it will spread across the whole state,” says Wise. “Book Rescue of Kentucky? Hey, you never know.”

If you are an organization that is interested in donating books to Book Rescue Louisville, contact Wise. For more information about Book Rescue Louisville, call (502), 780-6484, email chris@bookrescuelou.com, or visit www.bookrescuelou.com.

StMatthewsMag.com / DECEMBER 2020 / ST. MATTHEWS MAGAZINE / 31

Book Rescue of Louisville @bookrescuelou @bookrescuelou

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