Nearly 50% of Americans own a library card, which means that library books pass through plenty of hands in their lifetimes. When a public school needed supplies for its library, a community member stepped forward with a happy ending to the story.
Fairy Tales Do Come True
Community member Deborah Guerrero loves libraries. She remembers her school library as a special place to spend time and learn something new. Deborah shares this fondness with her friend Sarah Logan, an elementary school librarian at Dorothy Fox Elementary School in Camas, Washington. The school library serves more than 460 elementary students, and Sarah needed supplies to keep things running smoothly.
Sarah shared that when books are old and worn out, students do not connect with them as well. Sarah’s budget allows her to replace old books, but there is not much left over for regular supplies such as trays, batteries, and clipboards.
Deborah had already performed one act of kindness with Random Acts. She was looking for another opportunity to help her community when she learned about Sarah’s library. “Knowing that she spends a lot of her own money on the library,” explains Deborah, “I wanted to help to relieve some of that financial pressure.”
Cover to Cover
When Deborah arrived at the school, the staff were ready and waiting and very excited. “We talked about how lucky the school was to have such a great librarian,” says Deborah. “The project went brilliantly!” Sarah was thrilled at how each item would help in her work. The desktop references had been especially high on her dream list.
Even the shipping boxes provided an unexpected resource. A teacher said the boxes were perfect for his classroom, so Deborah’s donation really fulfilled the library’s needs cover to cover. Deborah described Sarah’s library as beautiful, colorful, and welcoming. Sarah describes Deborah that way, too, saying, “She glowed! We could tell that this act filled a special part of Deborah’s heart and soul.”
Deborah has already started plotting out which organization she wants to help next. She says she wishes more people knew about the resources that Random Acts can provide. She has practically become a spokesperson, asking, “Wouldn’t it be amazing if we could chart how far these acts go? Can we make a difference? Yes, we can – one Random Act at a time.”
Local Acts Add Up to Global Good
At Random Acts, our mission is to fund acts of kindness, both large and small. Do you have an idea for an act of kindness in your own community? Contact your local Random Acts Regional Representative for information on Sponsored Acts or any other help you need to turn your idea into a reality.
