Books Are Wings volunteers have a direct impact on the life of a child by showing them that reading is fun. Join us to help put over 75,000 FREE books into the hands of children across Rhode Island. Our community events emphasize the joy of reading while focusing on a key concept in children’s literacy – that choosing your own book fosters a greater motivation to read.
Recently, Collette staff members joined us at our Pawtucket offices to sort through book donations. Collette generously supports our organization in many ways, but giving their employees paid volunteer time allows their staff to support getting our book donations directly into the hands of children and families around Rhode Island.
There are many ways for you to support Books Are Wings too! Here is how you can help:
Sorting/counting/organizing books: Throughout the year, Books Are Wings plans a handful of mornings or afternoons to organize books in our office in Pawtucket. During that time, we count books, organize them by age and look through them to make sure they are in good condition so that we can then bring them to schools, books spots and other community events.
School visits: During the school year, Books Are Wings hosts book parties at various early childhood facilities and elementary schools throughout Rhode Island. At these events, Books Are Wings staff and volunteers help set up tables of books for children to browse and choose from. We also spend time reading to the kids and guide them in a simple craft activity. These events are a lot of fun and are a really great way to be directly involved with what Books Are Wings is all about.
Community events: We attend many community events throughout the state. These events are often on weekends and weeknights and we depend greatly on volunteers to represent us or accompany us at these events. This usually entails bringing books to an event and helping out at or running the Books Are Wings table. Children at these events will then visit the table to choose a free book or two to take home. These events are lots of fun and we attend them at various times throughout the year.
Book pick-ups: We have many generous individuals and organizations who have book donations ready, but aren’t able to bring them to our office. Transporting books from these donors to our office is a key part of our work.
Fundraising: Assist in our fundraising efforts by volunteering at a fundraising event, hosting a fundraiser of your own, or donating items for our annual silent auction.
Sponsorship: Sponsor a program or book spot in any of our target cities.
Contact Kim Nelson, Director of Community Engagement, to inquire about our volunteer opportunities: kim@booksarewings.org