Upcoming activities
- On Sunday, August 14, please come to the end-of-project celebration!! It all starts with a potluck at 11:30. We’ll provide sandwich fixings and beverages; you can bring salad or a dessert (or contribute $$) — and it would be fun if your dish has a literary theme! We will discuss the suggested reading (with the title You’ve GOT to read this book), kids can color and do crafts, and we will sort and box the books that have been donated for Bookspring.
- Tell us about your own favorite or most meaningful book! We are collecting through the end of September and will create a bound collection of all submissions to make available in the library. Please submit either on a paper form at church or via this on-line form. If you choose the paper form, please give to Cyndi Louden or Vicki Almstrum; the electronic version comes to us automatically.
About the project
Sorting books for Bookspring
We want your unwanted books!! This summer’s church-wide social action project is a multi-faceted journey related to literacy. Our partner is Bookspring (formerly Reading Is Fundamental), a non-profit organization that strives to:
- Reach families at the earliest point in their child’s development to encourage them to take advantage of the critical early months and years of brain development.
- Increase the literacy level of our greater community by changing literacy-related behaviors of parents and students.
- Make book sharing and reading aloud an integral part of family activities from infancy so that children grow up with books and a love of reading.
One of the biggest obstacles to literacy in the United States is a scarcity of books in homes. According to Bookspring’s website (bookspring.org), two-thirds of low-income families own no books for their children. FUUCA will help Bookspring in two ways: a book drive between July 3rd and August 14th to contribute toward the tens of thousands of books they give to children of low-income families; and raising funds that will support the programs of Bookspring.
The plans for this summer project are still evolving and depend in part on YOU and your ideas! So far, we have the following planned for the weeks ahead:
Pausing to read a book
- Collection barrels will be located near the sanctuary for dropping off book donations.
- Components of the summer services will highlight the joys of reading and literacy, including the Story-for-all-Ages and some surprises that are in the works.
- The July special collection on July 10th will be on behalf of Bookspring. Gillian Redfearn will provide the testimony.
- Immediately after the service on at least July 10th, children and adults alike can come to Howson Hall during the regular coffee-hour and partake in literacy-related activities such as a crafts tables and story telling.
- We are suggesting the book You’ve GOT to Read This Book!: 55 People Tell the Story of the Book That Changed Their Life (304 pages), which we will discuss in August. We hope to have copies available in the church bookstore; it can also be ordered on-line from Amazon.com.
- A Hogwarts Camp UU social action afternoon devoted to Bookspring.
- An end-of-the-project celebration on August 14th, which will include a pot-luck, a work session to sort and mark the donated books, discussions of what we’ve read, and the opportunity to share our own individual stories about the books that have influenced us or changed our lives.
How can you participate?
Camp UU participants sorting books for Bookspring
- Check out the social action bulletin board – we will post updates there as they occur.
- Watch for developments via the FUUCA website: austinuu.org/Literacy
- Bring in books! Any books are fine – the website and bulletin board will list books of particular interest to Bookspring
- Give generously during the special offering
- Come have fun during the after-church activities
- Read the selection You’ve GOT to Read This Book
- Let the coordinators know if you have ideas for how to help grow the fun of this shared project
Who to contact for more information:
- Vicki Almstrum (co-chair of the CYPC)
- Corinna Whiteaker-Lewis (chair of the Social Action committee)
- Cynthia Louden (chair of the Adult R.E. committee)