"Wherever illiteracy is a problem, it's as fundamental a problem as getting food to eat or a place to sleep"
Note: Books for Keeps currently has remote volunteering opportunities, please click here to learn more!
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Books for Keeps works to improve children’s reading achievement by addressing barriers related to the accessibility and appeal of reading material. We give books to children whose reading opportunities outside of school might be otherwise limited due to geography, income, or other factors. This is important work, especially in Athens, that looks to remove many obstacles in the way of children and learning. Serve UGA just begun its partnership with Books for Keeps at the start of 2020!
What does Service at Books for Keeps Look Like?
Service usually varies to include either packing the books to send to Athens-Clarke County Students, sorting through the books, or actually delivering the books at elementary schools around the county! Many families simply cannot afford summer camps and vacations, much less other forms of intellectual stimulation that keep children’s brains engaged and teach them new things about the world around them. More starkly, those same families often cannot afford to buy books, and may have trouble accessing the library because of geography, transportation, work schedules, or other factors. By middle school, the children from these families may be three grade-levels behind their peers. That gap, left unaddressed, is nearly insurmountable, and negatively affects their chances of graduating high school.
Children who have access to early educational supports are more ready to learn when they reach middle and high school. They are more likely to earn a high school diploma, more likely to be employed and less likely to end up in jail. In short, small investments early in a child’s schooling can reap rewards. Books for Keeps has been proven to boost access and reading skills of students to some of Georgia's most vulnerable children. Check out more opportunities here bit.ly/Volunteerbfk |
Meet the Community Partner:
Justin first started as a volunteer and fell in love with the organization over time. Most of the time you can find Justin in the warehouse working with volunteers or in schools meeting with our community partners. Now that Books for Keeps is serving all Clarke County Elementary Schools, BFK and Justin hope to expand opportunities to provide services and programming for Middle and High Schoolers as well. It's also a not-so-secret dream of Justins' to get a Books for Keeps bookmobile one day!
Message: "This program isn't just about books or reading. It's about providing equal opportunity to all students, no matter who they are of where they come from. Books for Keeps isn't only providing books for every student in Clarke County, it's giving them a choice of if, and what, they would like to read." Fun Fact: Justin coached women's roller derby for two years! Contact: justin@BooksforKeeps.org |
Meet the Site Leaders!
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chantel mackey
Major: International Affair, Economics, Korean Language and Literature minor Why did you join Serve UGA? "I wanted to learn about the best ways I could learn about and serve my community." Fun Fact: My favorite books are the Percy Jackson and Hero of Olympics series. My favorite character was Hazel. Contact: ckm14021@uga.edu |
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eisha baig Major: Health Promotion major, health policy and management minor Why did you join Serve UGA? "I wanted to find a way to learn and be more involved in the Athens community, the Serve Athens initiative was the main appeal for me." Fun Fact:I want to go to iron horse with literally anyone and everyone Contact: eb99663@uga.edu |
betlehem mekonnen
Major: Cellular Biology; Minor: Public Health
Why did you join Serve UGA?
" I joined Serve as a way to give back to the Athens community on a grander scale of doing it alone. I have met amazing people through this club and have had a chance to pursue a passion in a way I couldn't before."
Fun Fact: I love trying new food! Ethiopian food is still my favorite though
Contact: btm66692@uga.edu
Major: Cellular Biology; Minor: Public Health
Why did you join Serve UGA?
" I joined Serve as a way to give back to the Athens community on a grander scale of doing it alone. I have met amazing people through this club and have had a chance to pursue a passion in a way I couldn't before."
Fun Fact: I love trying new food! Ethiopian food is still my favorite though
Contact: btm66692@uga.edu
