By Parker McKenzie
A Melbourne-based charity has partnered with Officeworks to help supply free books for children impacted by the floods in New South Wales and Queensland.
123Read2Me founder Melinda Shelley said the charity has 10,000 books ready to ship to those who need them in Queensland and New South Wales.
“We reached out to Lismore library and they’re very excited to have the books because they can give them out for free, so the kids have them before they get their library systems up and running again.” she said.
17 Officeworks locations — including the Ferntree Gully store — will trial book donation boxes where locals can donate second hand books for those impacted by the floods.
Ms Shelley said Officeworks found her charity first and reached out to make the idea a reality.
“Our values and priorities align, it’s about children and empowering them through education,” she said.
“They see that they can actually help and support us in the work we’re doing. That means we can reach more children, because there’s three quarters of a million children living in poverty in Australia.”
123Read2Me provides children in low socioeconomic communities with free children’s books. These can be second-hand or new books purchased with monetary donations. The total value of books donated to date is over $5 million.
Ms Shelley said the charity started in Frankston North, the third most disadvantaged community in Victoria.
“Every second child is vulnerable or weak and struggling to put food on the table. Children’s Books are a luxury and yet children grow out of their books, so we just started collecting them,” she said.
“I started going to op shops and buying five books for two bucks, and then placed a free book box out in the front. Then we started having boxes outside fish and chip shops, kinders, childcare centres and schools because there are so many children who don’t have access to books.”
Other donation boxes are located at the Children’s House of Early Learning in Boronia and Bendigo Community Bank in Ferntree Gully.
Ms Shelley said there are volunteering opportunities with 123Read2Me if people wish to help out in other ways.
“It’s a bit of a hike from Ferntree Gully but our temporary warehouse is in Heatherton, people can come on Thursdays or Saturdays to volunteer and kids are welcome to come and help sort books,”
“One of our big problems is finding a permanent home. We need a 500 to 600 square metre warehouse, so if anyone’s got one empty sitting around and you want to be the hero, we’d certainly love to talk to you.”
People interested in volunteering or anyone seeking further information can visit https://123read2me.org.au
