POP Has Big Plans to Make 2014 Another Successful Year of Growth!

The POP project shattered our book delivery goals for 2013 by sort, packing, and delivering over 6,100 books valued at over $30,000! These books were delivered to local area schools, children’s programs, shelters, housing and healthcare centers, and detention centers, as well as to several maximum security state prisons.

We held a number of volunteer opportunities, coordinated local activities to promote literacy, and participated in several national book campaigns. Click here for our last post about POP’s 2013 successes.

POP wants to keep expanding our donations, programs, and volunteer opportunities for the coming year. Here are just a few things we are preparing for 2014:

• Expand into additional counties in WNC: POP plans to expand east and west to cover additional counties in Western North Carolina that could benefit from a greater access to books. Do you know of any schools, shelters, development centers, detention centers, or healthcare facilities in your county that could benefit from a few good books? Let us know how we can help.

• Hold a spring “Rethink Ink” book sale and fundraiser: POP accepts almost all kinds of books, and so we have collected many more than we can currently find homes for. Our “Rethink Ink” fundraiser encourages people to keep paper books alive during the digital revolution, while also serving as our largest fundraiser of the year. This year’s sale will be held in February at the Biltmore Lake Clubhouse. Look for more info, coming soon.

• Increase the number of books we donate by 15%: In 2013, POP was able to find homes for over $30,000 worth of books. That’s great work, but we know we can do even better! By expanding our programs, and the reach of our donations, we plan to break the $35,000 mark! If you are interested in helping us transport books, or you know any organizations that could benefit from a greater access to books, let us know.

• More programming for Banned Books Week 2014: Banned Books Week is a national week devoted to showcasing the power of the printed word. The POP Project is committed to bringing Banned Books Week to life in Asheville by creating events and partnering with local organizations who work to ensure that no book is ever banned again.

• Add additional drop box locations around Asheville: Our sincerest thanks to West End Bakery and Spellbound Children’s Bookshop for their continued support of the POP Project, and for hosting our drop boxes in West Asheville and Woodfin. POP would like to make drop boxes available to people on all sides of town. Contact us if your business or organization is interested in hosting a drop box.

The POP Project works to make sure no book goes without a home, goes unread, sits on a shelf and collects dust, and that all of the books we are entrusted with are used for constructive, personal expansion. If you can help with any of these projects, or if you think there are additional areas in which POP can serve WNC, contact us today!

Our Thanks to You, Our Community

Thank you to our supporters for all their help this year. We collected and sorted through many many books to determine their best homes. We delivered books to over three dozen organizations in our community. We made a difference to the lives of several thousand people in Asheville, Buncombe County, and across Western North Carolina. And we couldn’t have done this without your help, support, and belief in the power of a good book.

Here’s to 2014. Here’s to another great year of working with you to help our community!