On August 21, we wrapped up our two-year effort to bring five million new books to the communities impacted by Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma. We not only met but exceeded our goal, with a total of more than 5.1 million books distributed!

We celebrated this accomplishment with an event at the New Orleans Public Library, where sixty students from Martin Behrman Charter Elementary School in New Orleans joined us, along with community members, local and national dignitaries, and representatives from some of our corporate and publishing partners — without whom we could not have made this happen!

From the moment we boarded the plane on Monday, I knew this would be a momentous occasion filled with lots of special moments. And I wasn’t wrong. The flight to Louisiana brought back some poignant memories for me and I’m sure for every First Book staffer who was able to make at least one visit to the Gulf Coast during the past two years.

Significant progress has been made in removing the blue tarps from the roofs of damaged homes that stood out like giant waves, greeting travelers as they approached the NOLA airport. The tarps are mostly gone now but unfortunately, it means the homes were demolished and the land cleared of rubble that more often than not included families’ hopes, dreams and lives that can never be replaced.

Once we arrived at the library on Tuesday, I began to feel a little sad thinking that Book Relief was done. But as the show progressed, I also felt great pride in our accomplishments.

Of all the presentations, I think that Barry Lemoine, a teacher from St. Bernard’s Parish Public Schools, was most poignant. His recollections of the loss of his prized book collection and of his children being without everything, including books, and of how First Book showed up and changed their lives was totally mesmerizing.

One of my difficult moments was when I met a woman who was a member of the original NOLA Advisory Board long before Katrina. She showed up at the event and told me her story of losing everything and battling the system to try and rebuild. She said that through it all First Book kept her going.

I was seated beside Anna when the plane left NOLA. We were looking out the window and she very quietly said, “I don’t want to leave!” I recognized the feeling.

….On to the next adventures!