(Courtesy Bookbanks)
Reading opens a world of possibilities. From books about self-improvement, DIY home repair, or fiction that engages your imagination, books can be transformative. But for people who are food insecure, going to a book store or a library is not a priority. That’s why a charity in Britain is now serving books at local food banks.
A unique idea
The charity, Bookbanks, was founded by Emily Rhodes, a London-based writer who realized that giving books to food bank clients could enrich their lives, according to Positive News. She told the good news publication, “Nobody should have to choose whether to feed or read.”
Rhodes has been surrounded by books her entire life. She was an avid reader, studied English in university, and worked in publishing and bookselling before becoming a journalist.
In 2022, Rhodes began volunteering at a community food hub in Newington Green, in north-east London. There she realized that bringing books into the mix could not only enrich people’s lives with reading but it could help people make connections and socialize, something that was not done in a food pantry.
“People think of a book as a solitary thing, but I think there’s another side to books that makes them amazing connectors and community builders, Rhodes said.”
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Starting small
Rhodes started small by setting up a table with a few hundred donated books at the food pantry in Newington Green, reported The Guardian. At first, Rhodes gave books from her own collection but as her project grew she started to get donations from book stores, libraries, and publishers.
She and her co-director Hattie Garlick, officially launched Bookbanks as a charity and began to expand in the city. Since three percent of people use food banks, this is a great opportunity to get books in the hands of people that cannot afford to own books.
Yusuf, 53, a food bank user, told The Guardian that he takes books to read with his son. “It’s the best time; we are quiet together … If you haven’t got money, but you have a book, the book is knowledge and knowledge is good.”
While some of her patrons could take out books from the library, others cannot because they do not have an address, Rhodes said that the charity is more about book ownership. And it hasn’t stopped at just providing books. Bookbanks has also run an author talk featuring author Nadia Kabir Barb and plans on many more.
There are currently four Bookbanks locations, according to the organization, and to date, more than 3,000 books have been given away. There are plans to open four-to-six more locations in food banks in 2025. Bringing books into the mix shows that food banks have the potential to be a community space of socializing and learning and not just a place to be fed.
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