eClub Gives Away Books to the Homeless

The eClub of the Southwest USA is based in our district and has 79 members in 12 countries (6 continents). Eclub members participate in local community service projects in their own communities.

Maureen McKinley (Las Vegas, NV. USA) works with Project Homeless Connect, a combination of federal, state, county, city, faith based, veteran, medical, and donors assist homeless in Southern Nevada with obtaining housing, employment, medical assistance, food, books, blankets, hygiene products, haircuts etc. She decided a couple month ago to donate some books for the homeless. Here is her report about this project.

"As of Nov 8,  I had assembled and boxed 49 boxes of fiction, non fiction, religious, teen, business, etc books.  I was greatly helped by Christine Smith of the Rotary Club of Green Valley (Henderson, NV, USA); Rancho High School Interact; Rotary Club of Green Valley with book donations and the Rotary Club of Las Vegas Sunset (Las Vegas, NV. USA).  On Nov. 9th, the local Salvation Army gave me a pallet of books weighing over 750 lbs which translated to another 60+ boxes of books.  Thankfully, I used a UHaul and my neighbor, 13 year old Emmanuel, helped me box up the pallet of books. His reward was to receive the drawing and art books for himself and some childrens' books for his younger siblings.

On Nov. 10th, my fully loaded 12 foot UHaul and I went to Cashman Center where the event was to take place.  On arrival and while sorting and organizing the books I received another 30 boxes from the United Methodist Church; 10 boxes from the personal library from Michele, the Overall Chair of the event and rec'd another 20 boxes from other volunteers who heard about my giveaway.  The giveaway chair estimated by the start of the event on November 11, I had gathered and displayed about 5000 books.

At the end of the day, after 7 hours, I had 3 boxes of romance novels, less than a dozen nonfiction, less than two dozen fiction paperbacks and 4 boxes of hardback fiction.  All but the hardbacks were discarded.  My best estimate is that I gave away over 4500 books.  More than three times the books I gave away last year.  I proudly displayed the Rotary EClub of Southwest USA behind my tables and rows of books.  The Display was filmed by news crews but I have yet to hear or see if we made it on any news program.  All in all a successful event and the providers, donors and volunteers all learned about our ECLUB!!!!!!

The good news . . . it was an outstanding event! The bad news . . . I forgot my camera."

Great work, Maureen!!