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Brighten a Child's Life and Recycle at the Same Time

BY DIONNE LISTER

We all know the benefits of recycling. Today we’re going to remind you of something that’s even better—reusing. Our product of choice is the book. How many of us have boxes of books that we no longer read? We can take them to a secondhand bookshop, or put them in the paper recycling, but there’s an even better way to dispose of them. Give your old books to an outback or country school or community.

In Australia, schools within cities are usually well funded and have enough resources to have an abundance of books, however outback schools are not as lucky. I have a friend who has recently donated a box of her used fantasy books to a school in Dubbo, and the kids were so excited. It’s introduced a new generation of kids, many of them Indigenous, to a genre they may not have otherwise explored.

To help these kids, you can donate books to SAB the Share-A-Book initiative which is run by the Australian Literacy and Numeracy Foundation or pick a school and contact them directly. I’m off to send my own package in the hopes that it gives a child a fun way to spend their time. I hope that I’ve inspired some of you to send your books to kids who would love to explore a new world-it’s what dreams are made of, you know.

Donate your books to some of the organisations listed below and if know of any more email us.

  • The Footpath Library - The Benjamin Andrew Footpath Library aims to make books more accessible to the homeless and disadvantaged members of our society, change our attitudes to these people and encourage literacy. Now in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.
  • Share a book foundation

What do you think?


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