It’s been a tough season for the POP Project.
Asheville, NC has already hit our average rain mark for the year, and we’re only a few days past the mid-mark on the calendar. It’s been so wet and rainy, friends are posting comments on Facebook about moving to Seattle to get some sun.
Here at the POP Project, we’ve been calling it “Mountain Monsoon Season.”
At this stage in our growth, the POP Project stores our book supplies in 2 outdoor storage units on the west end of town. We’ve gotten some great donations in over the last few months, but it’s been difficult to find time to sort through them and keep organized with these terribly wet conditions.
Even worse, we have had to cancel not one, but several, of our last volunteer opportunities. For a nonprofit that depends solely on volunteer hours to succeed, that’s been a big blow – especially in terms of morale.
Nonetheless, POP has still managed to make a few significant donations so far this summer. We have established a partnership with the Buncombe County Schools’ “Rolling into Reading” Bookmobile, and look forward to working with them again as they continue to grow. On July 3, we donated nearly $1,000 in books to them for younger children, older students, and family members who accompany the K-6 students they have been designed to serve. Now, we hope that the bookmobile will have books on hand for all ages and reading levels to take home and enjoy.
In addition, one of POP’s intrepid volunteers has been busy on the trail of organizations in need of children’s books. We don’t want to jinx things (still need the weather to hold up for us next week), but we hope to announce some big and exciting book donation news very soon.
Keep a weather eye out on the horizon, and hope we see some sun!