The new crew of volunteers from the Biloxi Hands On site arrived today – from Berkley! What a great group of college students and university staff! All of our volunteers have been so grateful, appreciative, and happy. We are so lucky to work with such phenomenal women and men.

Wednesday was, yet again, unbelievable…

READ MORE »

When you think about book distributions these words are probably not the first that come to mind: hiking, singing, canoeing, barbeque, and campfire. (Well, singing might – but belting out “Life is a Highway” on your third trip to Wal-Mart of the week isn’t exactly what we’re talking about.)

Last night Elizabeth, Tabitha, Kevin and I were sitting around a campfire at Lake D’Arbonne State Park with some new friends – Kevin was keeping a beat on a bongo drum, Grant (a Hands On network volunteer on his first assignment) was strumming the guitar, Joe (a long term Hands-On volunteer based in Biloxi) was singing under his breath, and everyone else was making S’mores on a blazing hot campfire with hand-crafted marshmallow sticks. Inside the lodge, another group was engaged in a game of ‘solitaire frenzy’, deep conversations, and I even think a few volunteers had gone on a night hike through the park. All I could think about was how this is exactly how we should do every book distribution.

READ MORE »