On November 29th, members of The Women’s National Book Association (WNBA), the Young to Publishing Group (YPG), and the Children’s Book Council (CBC) came together to kick-off the holiday season. They gathered to collect and gift-wrap book donations for Behind the Book — a literary, non-profit organization that brings books into low-income, NYC classrooms. This year, the organization requested children’s, middle grade, young adult, and Spanish language books. To add to the cause, attendees were encouraged to donate books from these categories.
Angeli Rafer, a YPG Cares volunteer, led the evening. She thanked everyone for their time and gave directions for the night. She said, “I started hosting the event three years ago as a low-key, low-commitment volunteer opportunity.”
This year, close to 50 people from the various organizations crammed into the CBC offices. They gathered around tables, and they used the tops of bookshelves to wrap over 100 books. The organizations pooled to provide the wrapping materials, as well as snacks to keep everyone energized. Can you imagine a galley style kitchen extending into an open concept living room, brimming with more than 50? Is so, you have a pretty good idea of what the atmosphere was like while wrapping books for this great cause.
The Gift Wrapping Party is a WNBA annual tradition, and it’s one of the ways in which we support our community throughout the year. More information about each organization can be found in the links below:
- The Women’s National Book Association
- Young to Publishing Group
- Children’s Book Council
- Behind the Book
- Community Caregivers
Rachel Slaiman is a published freelance writer of several print and online articles. She is also a manuscript editor and copy editor for aspiring authors. She is currently the co-recording secretary for the WNBA and co-chair for the Brooklyn Book Festival. Rachel holds a B.A. in Communications and a M.S. from Pace University. In her spare time, she enjoys reading and writing short stories.
