It began as humble musings–a spark of an idea last year. We talked about it without any real sense of urgency, until now. Now, it sometimes keeps us up at night, and gets us up early on a weekend. Now, it’s real, tangible, growing. We are both exhausted, but still fired up and feeling unstoppable. A year ago, it was a dream that seemed oceans away. Now, this dream is a goal with self-imposed deadlines. We are reaching over 500 young, poverty-stricken, book-starved students oceans away through the Book and Shade Foundation, a non-profit that my husband, Rex and I started. The best part? This is only the beginning.
“I want kids to have the same opportunities that I did,” Rex said with simple conviction. Many poverty-stricken communities abroad, including provinces in the Philippines have fifty students or more to a single teacher. The students in the two K-6 schools Book and Shade has adopted don’t have enough school supplies, or a simple paperback book to borrow from a library. Students sit in cramped classrooms, share a desk, eager to learn, but hungry as heck. For those of you who know me, I am not myself when I’m HANGRY. I can just imagine how difficult it is for the children to concentrate when they’re on empty.
The Book and Shade Foundation hopes to widen our reach and help children in other book-starved, poverty-stricken countries where English is taught as part of the curriculum. Our mission is to supply them with something that can’t be taken from them–knowledge. We want to foster a passion to read and learn. We hope that children will read themselves out of poverty. We are taking Nelson Mandela’s advice: Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world.
Across the Pacific, nations away from the Philippine schools, Rex is maxing out his local Poway and San Diego library card– borrowing dozens of books at a time about the ins and outs of starting a non-profit in California, financial management, and people management. He hit the books hard. On December 31, 2012, a late Christmas gift arrived. It came in the form of an official letter from the government, stating that the Book and Shade Foundation is incorporated as a non-profit organization in the state of California. We raised a pint to celebrate.
This is the beginning of something BIG. We hope that you will be a part of it. Thank you in advance for your support–it can be shown in many forms and we appreciate it all. Visit the Book and Shade Foundation’s website to pledge or donate via paypal. For those of you who have donated your time as staff and board members, for those of you organizing meals and distributing donated books in the Philippines, for those of you who showed your generosity by donating money, your services pro-bono, your books, and for simply showing us you got our backs by Liking the Book and Shade Foundation’s Facebook page–a heartfelt thank you.
Our inaugural fundraiser and book drive is tomorrow Saturday, April 13th, 2013 from 4pm to 7pm at Company Pub in Poway, California. Come through if you will be in San Diego and raise a pint with us to celebrate the humble beginning of something BIG! Visit the Book and Shade Foundation’s website for details.
Cheers!
Kristine
P.S. Read about Ashleigh’s beginnings. She is a fellow photographer who is also participating in The Exhibit Project. Each month, fellow photographer “Exhibitors” will write about a new theme and link to another photographer’s blog. Follow us on our photo-journeys!
Ha, it’s a Baxty! I’m proud of both of you and am excited to be part of Book and Shade. It’s made me realize that I can do so much more to help others and to not take things for granted. You know I’ll be there this Saturday to support this great cause. I’ll be there for many more events too. I want us all to make a difference!