Volunteer Appreciation Week at Book Harvest

This National Volunteer Appreciation Week, we are especially grateful for our incredible team of Book Harvest volunteers!

Two longtime volunteers – Linda Hoke and Sharon Barrell – took the time to share their volunteer journeys with us in celebration of this week. To watch their three interview clips (and see their coincidentally matching outfits), visit our YouTube channel, or engage with us on Facebook and Instagram @bookharvestnc.

Clip 1 of our series with Sharon and Linda! Two more clips are linked at the bottom of this blog post.

Linda has been volunteering at Book Harvest for 12 years (for reference, Book Harvest is only 15 years old) and introduced the opportunity to Sharon 3 years ago. Now, they catch up weekly over children’s books: counting, sorting, and stickering each one so that they are ready to build home libraries.

“There are so many reasons I continue to volunteer for Book Harvest, primarily the organization’s mission,” Sharon shared. “I think however many books we can get in the hands of children is a good thing, so I love that I have a small role to play in that.”

In addition to book processing, our volunteers also help facilitate the transition of books into our community through book hubs and special events. Linda and Sharon have both volunteered at our annual Summer Block Party, setting up tables and laying out books for the hundreds of children who attend every year.

And as if that wasn’t enough, Linda also fills a book box! With over 100 book hubs around Durham that need consistent refilling, our volunteers make this magnitude of book access possible. On a regular basis, Linda restocks her designated book box with age-appropriate children’s books, logging how many find homes in between each visit.

“It’s exciting because I get to see kids coming out of the school and opening the book box and starting to get books out,” shared Linda, reflecting on her favorite part of the process.

Clearly, volunteering at Book Harvest can look a variety of ways, but being a part of a joyful, bookish community is consistent throughout.

"We are infinitely grateful for the community support that we receive from volunteers,” reflected Parker Nelson, Book Harvest’s Volunteer Engagement Manager. “Their amazing skills ensure that we are equipped to provide good quality books through our programs. Their unwavering dedication warms our hearts and reminds us about the power of the work we're accomplishing."

We are so grateful for Sharon and Linda and all of our incredible volunteers. This week and every week: thank you!

If you’re interested in joining the Book Harvest volunteer team, visit https://www.bookharvest.org/volunteer-with-us to sign up for upcoming volunteer opportunities or reach out to Parker at parker@bookharvest.org with any questions.