Do you have a gently used paperback novel that you would like to give to a worthy cause? Consider bringing it to Kensico Dam Plaza on Sept. 11 so it can be shipped off to a U.S. soldier.
"The book collection is part of a collaboration between Westchester County and The Volunteer Center of United Way to promote volunteerism as a way to pay homage to the victims of terrorism on Sept. 11, 2001," said County Executive Robert P. Astorino.
Other volunteer activities, including a food drive, will be going on at Kensico throughout the day on Sept 11. On Sept. 12, the county is also sponsoring a blood drive at the Westchester County Center. (For links to a full list, go to www.westchestergov.com.) You may also register for any of the 27 activities planned during an entire week of service projects (September 9-15) by going to The Volunteer Center's Web site: www.volunteer-center.org/service
The book donation program is made possible thanks to the generosity of Shleppers Moving and Storage, which is transporting the books to Fort Drum. A Shleppers truck will be on hand on Sept. 11 from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the plaza to accept the books. Volunteers who come to drop off paperbacks can take a few moments to write a letter of support as well.
The truck will start with a payload of 1,500 books that have already been collected by Books To Soldiers, an effort that was conceived of in 2009 by Jamie Stein, now a senior at Ardsley High School. While recuperating from a sports injury, she learned from her physical therapist, a former U.S. Marine, about the boredom and stress of down-time in remote locations of deployment. Since then she has distributed approximately 20,000 books to soldiers. The truck will pick up additional boxes of books from supporters in Albany and Syracuse who are participating through the regional networks of volunteer centers.
Alisa Kesten, executive director of The Volunteer Center, which also serves as the Mid Hudson Valley Regional Volunteer Center, said: "The challenge is always how to move a large number of books to a base with the capacity to distribute them. Shleppers stepped in and offered to drive the books to Fort Drum, in addition to an earlier pledge to move canned goods to Hope Community Services, yet another of The Volunteer Center's planned projects."
Acceptable books will be trade or mass market paperbacks of fiction in new or gently-used condition, with covers and pages intact that would be of interest to men or women soldiers. All other types of books (hardcover, nonfiction and those in disrepair) will be rejected.
The Volunteer Center's annual community-wide call to action for The 9/11 Week of Service and Remembrance is made possible thanks to the generosity of Westchester County, United Way of Westchester and Putnam, and Corporate Champions: New York Life, PepsiCo, TD Charitable Foundation, Belmay, Bunge, Con Edison, IBM, Mack-Cali, Reader's Digest, The Dannon Company, M&T Bank, Robison Oil Company, Rollins Insurance Agency, The Journal News, Chubb, O'Connor Davies, RPW Group and Westchester Business Journal.
About The Volunteer Center of United Way – For over 60 years, The Volunteer Center has encouraged adults to serve, youth to build character, families to bond, young professionals to excel as leaders, mature adults to stay engaged and businesses to address community needs. An online database at www.volunteer-center.org matches volunteers to meaningful opportunities every day. Over 246,000 hours of service were devoted last year to 500 nonprofits at a value of over $7.5 million. In September 2011, The Volunteer Center was designated one of ten Regional Volunteer Centers in the State of New York, covering the Mid-Hudson Valley. For more information, visit www.volunteer-center.org.