President’s Day at Bernie’s Book Bank

Last month, Program Coordinator Faith took our kids to spend their President’s Day volunteering at Bernie’s Book Bank. This organization aims to bring books to at-risk children throughout Chicagoland area by processing and distributing quality new and gently used children’s books. This was not our kids’ first time at Bernie’s. Bernie’s Book Bank is a favorite spot for our students and they were eager to return to volunteer again this year.

30 PV kids, ranging from 7th to 12th grade, were divided into three groups. One group divided books between nonfiction and fiction, another group prepared “sandwich packs” of books to be sent out, and the older kids helped staff organize the palettes in the warehouse. Bernie’s staff explained the real world impact their services provided and how access to quality literature is so important to school age children. These much-needed books have proven to make an impact on their success in school and overall quality of life later on. PV kids were very enthusiastic to be able to help make an impact on their community and children like themselves.

Faith was captivated by our students’ positivity and eagerness to participate. While many kids may spend their day-off staying at home and playing video games, our kids were excited to sort books and put in a hard day’s work. She discovered that many of our students are recipients of the same book packages the kids were putting together. She remembers feelings of awe as she read through the hundreds of thank you notes written by kids who have received Bernie’s books and were given the opportunity to expand their knowledge and imagination through this service.