Faith in Action of the Greater Kanawha Valley (FIAGKV) recently announced the launch of its new Library by Mail program for area seniors, particularly those homebound.
“As a volunteer organization serving our community’s older neighbors, we’re acutely aware that transportation is a significant obstacle impacting quality of life,” said Jennifer Waggener, Executive Director. “While we can provide reliable access to medical appointments and groceries, those things are basic needs. Faith in Action is actively working on ways to enhance its transportation options to give our care receivers broader access to the little joys in life: a good haircut, shopping for fun, lunch with a friend.”
Waggener continued, “Until we do manage to bring a Quality of Life Rides program to fruition, one thing we can do right now is get books in the hands of those who love to read but cannot get to the library or a bookstore. Reading is one of the great pleasures enjoyed by many. With our Library by Mail program, ‘patrons’ can check out one of our books, and have it mailed to them, complete with a pre-paid postage return envelope. When finished with the book, all they have to do is put it in the provided envelope, seal it up, and hand it off to their mail person.”
A call for book donations was sent out to friends, family, and volunteers a couple of months ago. The result? A full library of nearly 500 titles of every genre, from biography to romance, from Westerns to mysteries and thrillers, from history to inspirational reads.
“We were quite excited by the response and the number of quality titles we are able to offer,” Waggener said. “The good news is, there are more where those came from, so we will be in a constant state of refreshing our catalog.”
The local organization decided to make the Library by Mail program available to the senior community at large, rather than keeping it solely for its current care receivers. To participate, call Faith in Action at 304-881-7253. They will establish you as a library patron and send you a printed catalog of books upon request. Participants can also peruse the catalog online by visiting tinyurl.com/fiagkvbooks to search through the available books.
“We really hope people take advantage of this opportunity – and not just because I’m a frustrated librarian at heart,” Waggener said. “Books have been so important to me in my own life, and our new Kanawha County Library with its incredible functionality and access has been a true inspiration. We just want to bring a little of that to seniors in their own homes so they can experience adventure, wisdom, escape, and joy through the power of the written word, too.”