Book Drive for Rwanda

Those extra books in your home can now do more than gather dust on your bookshelves. Each one could be read by over 400 people if you share them with students in Rwanda.

VISTA Productions, the theater program at Visitation School and Saint Thomas Academy, has launched a project to send books to Rwanda in order to “exchange the joy of reading and increased educational opportunities for the lessons of resiliency and forgiveness we can learn from Rwanda.” Out of uniform day fundraising drives at Visitation and STA, plus donations from companies and individuals will cover the shipping costs and now books are needed to fill the shelves.

On Wednesday, March 21 from 7:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. there will be a drive-up book drop at Visitation.  Early morning drop-offs may be made in the soccer field parking lot.  Books may be dropped off at the main entrance to the school and the rear student entrance throughout the rest of the day.  Books will continue to be collected at Visitation through the month of March.

When donating books, please keep in mind:

• Books for Africa sends school supplies, textbooks, reference books, and leisure reading (paperback and hardcover) that are less than 15 years old.
• Full sets of encyclopedias that are less than ten years old are desired.
• They send French language books (not instructional French books) of all categories and ages. They do not send Spanish or any other foreign language books.
• Please do not donate books about American History/Government/holidays.
• They no longer ship academic journals or National Geographic magazines.
• Please make sure the books do not have content that African kids cannot relate to, like a children’s book about American cultural traditions such as Valentine’s Day or Thanksgiving.