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Melissa Johnson, one of our workshop facilitators, recently presented at Legacy Charter School in Greenville, South Carolina and was struck by the fact that the elementary school library was a large room lined with empty shelves and NO books. Melissa said the teachers are passionate, the students are eager to learn and the goal of attending college is ingrained into every student at this wonderful school and yet their library is empty because 90% of the students live in poverty and there’s sparse funding for the school.

So, Melissa has made it her mission to fill the school library with over 2,012 books by the time the students return from their holiday break.

We would love your help in filling their library with books! All you have to do is send a book, appropriate for children (Kindergarten thru 5th Grade) from your library or buy one from an online book seller and send books to:

Legacy Charter School
1613 West Washington St.
Greenville, SC 29611

You can also read Melissa’s personal letter below…

Recently I was in Greenville, SC at Legacy Charter School. At this school, I met 120 of the most passionate group of leaders/faculty I’ve ever had the pleasure of talking with. The school is backed by a benefactor who is an accountant by trade, and who believes that no matter their background, every child should have a chance in life. This school is led with heart. They move the children towards a goal of attending college, beginning even as early as kindergarten.

As I was toured through the hallways of the school, students with bright looking faces smiled back at me, all matching one another in khaki pants and purple polo shirts. The kids were well-behaved, and I observed the teachers speaking to them using kind words and patience, not frustration. I learned things about the school itself (under new leadership this year), about the economic overview of its students (90% in poverty), and of the funding sources which the school receives (sparse).

When we visited a large room lined with empty shelves, the principal told me that this was the school library. No books on the shelves, but a library just the same. I asked her how they get books and she said, “Well, that’s really the question, isn’t it?”

I left SC with a hole in my heart for kids who don’t have books in a library with empty shelves. In America? I knew I could not tolerate this; something’s got to be done about it.

So this brings me to “2012 Books by Christmas.” We want to fill the entire school library at Legacy Charter School. I know this won’t happen overnight. I know it’s a very large goal. But I also know how big God is and how caring and generous people are, especially around the Christmas holidays.

Our goal is to send Legacy Charter School the first 2012 Books by Christmas this year. When the kids return from their Christmas break, I want them to walk into a library and be able to check out their first books; real, hardcover and paperback, page turning, crisp-paged books.

We need your help to make this happen.

Please send books appropriate for children (Kindergarten thru 5th Grade) to:

Legacy Charger School
1613 West Washington St.
Greenville, SC 29611

Thank you!