The Storybook Project

Ever since I was a kid, I have loved reading, so much so that I always knew that when I grew up I wanted to be a Literature teacher. I was able to fulfill that goal for two years out of college, and even though my professional career is on hold for now, I have done my best to pass the love of books on to my boys. 

We frequent our public libraries, one of our favorite activities is going to the book story for chocolate milk and to sit in the Children's area and read the brand new books, I order books from their Scholastic newspapers from school, and we read together several throughout the day. 

However, not all children are so lucky to have books at their finger tips. 

My friend my college Ericka, is the director of the Non-Profit Organization The Sound of Hope. Together with her husband Rusty, they "work to raise funds and awareness for orphans and vulnerable children in Thailand, Burma, India and Africa. We're committed to helping children break out of the cycle of poverty by partnering with programs that offer holistic care. We seek to educate, engage, and empower others to join the movement in creative ways."

Ericka and Rusty are leaving in two weeks to visit their Children's Homes in Asia and this time around are hoping to gift them with their very own libraries that these children deserve. 

In her own words:

The project:

It all started on our last trip, when we took a Storybook to each of our Children's Homes. I always like to bring a little something for the kids when we come, and I was looking forward to having story time with them and adding a book to their collection.

But it didn't take long for me to realize - they don't have a "collection". There's maybe a handful of books at each of our Children's Homes (if that many), and very few of them have pictures. It turns out that books are extremely expensive in these countries, and it's hard to find good copies of English books there without spelling mistakes or missing pages. (For those wondering, all our children are learning English at school.) A few minutes after I read a story to the boys at one of our homes and handed over the book for them to keep, I looked over to see all 15 boys crowded around ONE storybook! I was heartbroken that they didn't EACH have their own book, and the wheels began to turn. I couldn't help but dream of shelves full of books that they could read until their hearts were content!

You see, books have POWER. They inspire literacy, aid in mental development, and encourage creativity. Books can of course educate, and they can also help children explore their imaginations! Whether or not these children ever have the opportunity to travel, they can go anywhere and be anything in a book! That's why we're so excited about the impact these libraries will have in the lives of our children!

On our upcoming trip, we are hoping to establish Children's Libraries in 2 of our homes. The 1st library would be for "The Promised Land" - our Girls' Home in Thailand. There we have 8 little girls who live with their House Mom, Rapee. The 2nd library would be for "The Refuge", our home on the Thai/Burma border for refugee kids from Burma. These children have been through so much in their little lives, but in these homes they are safe and loved. They're also finally getting an education, mentoring, and learning valuable life skills.  

*****

Like we did with Mission Pack-a-Pack I am hoping that many of you will be moved to help Ericka and Rusty fund getting their 5 boxes full of books overseas, as well as buy the materials to set up the libraries once they are in country. 

We would also love to collect photos of you and/or your children reading, along with a caption of your location (city and/or state) to give the Sound of Hope's children and idea of just how many people all over the world have HOPE in them. 

You can donate HERE and you can email/facebook/tag on instagram your photos to me with under #storybookproject 

The link will open be open for a week, as The Sound of Hope prepares to leave for their trip at the end of the month, and Ericka will then be sharing pictures with us of their completed projects and excitement of the Children receiving their new libraries when she returns home to the states. 

CLICK HERE TO DONATE