Residents can donate new or gently used books requested for prison libraries
Literacy is a favorite cause for the Rotary Club of Wilsonville, and so is helping adults in custody make a better life for themselves post release.
So when prison literacy volunteer Brook Gore asked a club member for help with an idea after a chance meeting at a local gym, a project came together quickly. With Gore’s help, the club is gathering books for the libraries at Coffee Creek Correctional Facility in Wilsonville, as well as for Oregon State Correctional Institute in Salem.
Naturally, they’re calling it “Books Behind Bars.”
The club has posted book want lists online. Books can then be purchased directly from these lists. If the donor happens to have a used copy of the book, they can donate it simply by dropping it off anytime during open hours in a collection box at Black Bear Diner, 30175 S.W. Parkway Ave., Wilsonville. The club meets there every Thursday at 11:45 a.m. Books will be gathered through April 30. Books can also be brought to the Heart of Gold Gala and Auction on April 18 (details at WilsonvilleHeart.com).
“Our club is committed to literacy and to helping adults in custody,” club president Mike Bishop said. “We support Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library through local kids through Wilsonville Public Library, and for the children of adults in custody at Coffee Creek Correctional Facility. We’ve had the Through A Child’s Eyes program supporting the families of the incarcerated for more than 20 years, almost since the prison opened. This program only made sense.”
Gore was pleased to develop a partnership with local Rotarians.
“When I began leading a book club at the Coffee Creek Correctional Facility, I learned the women there had compiled a list of books they wanted for their library. I later learned there is also a list of book requests by the men at the Oregon State Correctional Institute,” Gore said. “There are a wide variety of novels each population wants to read, but many books are not a part of their current selection. To fill the gaps in available literature options, I reached out to a Rotary member and within a day the collaboration came together. Donations will not only help to fulfill the two populations’ desires to read, but they will also show care and compassion to a group of people who sometimes believe they have been forgotten.”
The program is being headed up by the club’s Director of Community Service, Pat Wolfram, and one of the club’s newest members, local real estate broker Tabi Traughber, who invested the effort to post both wish lists online.
“Books are wonderful tools in education and can also play a huge role in self growth,” Traughber said. “Engrossing yourself in a book is also a great way to escape reality, use your imagination and live in a time other than now — where it might be too tough to cope. After all, we all have our stories ….
“The Rotary Club of Wilsonville strives to help our community,” Traughber added, “and this project is just one way to give back!”
The club is asking the public’s help with the project and there are several ways to contribute:
- Amazon Wish List for Oregon State Correctional Institute: (https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/ILJSNBGXAF40?type=wishlist) — Books can be purchased new or used. They will be delivered to Traughber and she will take them to the facility. The Amazon list has low cost options for those not wanting to purchase the books new.
- Google Drive List for Oregon State Correctional Institute: (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1XXQkhZN3Th5rR-g5_bgZTPqTj6IRJXgYggxzWggxL5M/edit?gid=0#gid=0) — A list of wanted books is here. Books can be donated from home (if in good condition) or purchased and donated. They should be dropped off at Black Bear Diner in Wilsonville.
- Amazon Wish List for Coffee Creek Correctional Facility: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/3GNNJUJLDATIL?type=wishlist — Books can be purchased new or used. They will be delivered to Traughber and she will take them to the facility. The Amazon list has low cost options for those not wanting to purchase the books new.
- Google Drive Lists for Coffee Creek Correctional Facility: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1JHJHMniqnMV4vPmtY1vQ9iOZD-_QBOeZ/edit?usp=drive_link&ouid=102629193687497305536&rtpof=true&sd=true for Men, https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1MEKT319C1mgw8Z5zGhCT1L9NW2lWWNyK/edit?usp=drive_link&ouid=102629193687497305536&rtpof=true&sd=true for Women. — Books can be donated from home (if in good condition) or purchased and donated. They should be dropped off at Black Bear Diner in Wilsonville.
For further information or any questions, please contact club President Mike Bishop at President@WilsonvilleRotary.com.
About Rotary
Rotary brings together a global network of volunteer leaders dedicated to tackling the world’s most pressing humanitarian challenges. Rotary connects 1.2 million members of more than 36,000 Rotary clubs in over 200 countries and geographical areas. Their work improves lives at both the local and international levels, from helping those in need in their own communities to working toward a polio-free world. Through Rotary’s disease treatment and prevention programs, members educate and equip communities to stop the spread of life-threatening diseases like polio, HIV/AIDS, and malaria. For more information, visit Rotary.org
About the Rotary Club of Wilsonville
The Rotary Club of Wilsonville was founded in 1975 and is dedicated to friendship and service projects. The club carries out several signature service projects throughout the year, including the innovative Through A Child’s Eyes program at Coffee Creek Correctional Facility, the annual Wilsonville Rotary Summer Concerts, several Good Eggs omelet and pancake breakfasts throughout the year, the Wilsonville First Citizen awards program, and much more. The club meets weekly, Thursdays at 11:45 a.m. at Black Bear Diner, and has 40 members. Log on to WilsonvilleRotary.com for more information.