Six weeks into a philanthropic partnership between San Francisco’s Green Apple Books and nonprofit organization Books for Asia the online initiative is beginning to provide children’s books to schools and libraries throughout the Asia-Pacific region.
The book drive, called “Choose Books, Change Lives,” is a mutually rewarding project. “We hope this will drive sales to Green Apple, which is not only helping out a nonprofit in its own community but also attracting business it would not normally have found,” says Wendy Rocket, communications and outreach officer for Books for Asia. The Green Apple website is promoting book baskets that customers can purchase as donations. Each basket contains 25 titles, hand-picked by Books for Asia based on feedback the organization received from its partner schools in Asia.
“These books will go to schools that oftentimes have never seen books of this quality. They can be used to learn English, but the books are primarily intended for use as a learning tool for teachers,” Rockett says. There are 100 titles in four different baskets being used in “Choose Books, Change Lives.” Two of the book baskets concentrate on classic children’s books, while the other two contain I Spy and DK Eyewitness titles. The assortments will be updated depending on the availability of titles and as Books for Asia receives feedback from the schools they donate to. Green Apple is handling the book orders and packaging, followed by delivery to the Books for Asia warehouse in San Leandro, Calif.
One book basket has sold thus far, purchased by a teacher in St. Louis and designated for a school in Cambodia. Still, Rockett is confident that sales will pick up before the holidays as service groups and organizations learn about the book drive. The price range of the baskets is $300 to $380. “This is an ongoing project with Green Apple that we hope to grow and continue for a long time,” says Rockett. Books for Asia was founded in 1954. Every year it puts one million new books and resources into the hands of students, educators, and community leaders in 18 countries, ranging from Afghanistan to Viet Nam.
