Book Harvest Celebrates the Reopening of Its New and Expanded Home
September Proclaimed "Durham: City of Books Month"
Durham, NC (September 12, 2024): Book Harvest, a nonprofit children’s literacy organization dedicated to fostering book ownership and a lifelong love of reading among children and families, celebrated the grand reopening of its newly expanded Book Harvest Durham Family Space and Headquarters, National Headquarters, and Volunteer Center on Wednesday, September 11.
The celebration drew a crowd of over 150 community members, supporters, children, and local dignitaries – including Durham Mayor Leonardo Williams and Durham Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Anthony Lewis. During his presentation, Mayor Williams proclaimed September as “Durham: City of Books” month. In reaction to children laughing and playing in the background, he paused and said,
“Just listen to the future. Can’t you hear it? That is our most cherished thing to protect and nurture in this city…and the best tool you can equip them with, that will really empower self and human sustainability, is teaching them to read. They have to be able to stand on their own. And in order to do that, they have to have the right tools and resources. They have to know how to read.” He continued, “This is the City of Books. I’m grateful that the Bull City is the City of Books.”
You can read the proclamation here.
The ceremony was marked by a ribbon-cutting making official the reopening of the space, which had been renovated and expanded over the summer to better serve the needs of the families and volunteers who are at the heart of Book Harvest’s mission. The expansion was underwritten by an anonymous donor.
“We are thrilled to unveil and welcome dear friends to our newly upgraded space, which reflects our community’s passion for our cause and our deep commitment to every child’s thriving,” said Ginger Young, Founder and CEO of Book Harvest. “This expansion makes so much possible - and will allow us to pursue with vigor our big dream that every child grows up with an abundant home library starting on Day One and continuing over the critically important first decade of life.”
Guests at the event were treated to guided tours of the new facilities, where they could explore the expanded Family Space, which now includes more space for older children to read, relax, and play. The new Volunteer Center was also highlighted, showcasing the enhanced space where volunteers will help sort and prepare books to be harvested by children in Durham and beyond.
The reopening marks a significant milestone in Book Harvest’s 14-year journey, as the organization continues to grow nationwide and adapt to meet the evolving needs of the local community. The expanded space will enable Book Harvest to increase its capacity to serve more families and embrace with intentionality its pursuit of its vision of literacy and justice for all.
For more information about Book Harvest and its programs, visit bookharvest.org.
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About Book Harvest:
Book Harvest’s mission is books for every child, support for every parent, and literacy for every community. Internationally recognized for its work to transform children's literacy, Book Harvest has provided more than 2.3 million books to children and families since its founding in 2011, ensuring that children grow up from birth owning an abundance of books and that parents have the tools and power to ignite and strengthen their children's literacy for a lifetime. With programs that are grounded in evidence, Book Harvest believes that literacy starts at birth, in the home, powered by parents, and nourished with books. Learn more at bookharvest.org.
Contact: Benay Hicks, Chief External Relations Officer
857-225-5039, benay@bookharvest.org