Literacy fundraiser raises $43,000 toward goal

Thanks to everyone for donating to the Times Colonist Literacy Society, which raises money for school libraries and literacy organizations.

Pandemic or not, they need your help.

We’ve raised $43,130 since we kicked off this year’s fundraising campaign with a mini book drive in early August.

Russell Books, which bought all the donated books, has given us $30,000 for them. That is the same amount as last year, even though the number of books donated this year dropped by about a third.

Why give the same amount? Because, they said, the books were of higher quality this year – and beyond that, it is for a good cause.

We were not able to have the usual book drive and sale this year, the second time we have had to cancel it. The regular event requires hundreds of volunteers working in close contact with each other, something that is not possible during these COVID-19 times.

Russell agreed to take all the books and handle all the sorting as well. That helped turbocharge our fundraising efforts, ensuring that we would be able to raise enough money to bolster literacy work throughout our coverage area.

We hope to have our regular book drive and sale again next May. Volunteers and book lovers are telling us they are anxious to see the event return.

Since we called for public donations, we have received $13,130 from our readers, in amounts ranging from $50 to $2,000.

We also get regular monthly donations through the Canada Helps portal.

Every donation counts. We hope to raise $100,000 this year, so we have a long way to go.

Your donations get an added boost through a contribution from the provincial government, via Decoda Literacy Solutions on behalf of the Ministry of Education.

The more we raise, the more we get from Decoda, and the more we can put to work in the community.

Since 1998, thanks to our book sales, other fundraising efforts and Decoda, we have distributed more than $5 million to schools and literacy groups.

The book drive helped in another way as well. Russell Books has distributed thousands of quality books to the little free libraries found in almost every neighbourhood.

The pandemic has not reduced the need to support literacy. School libraries and literacy organizations are counting on us, and we can’t let them down.

You can donate online at canadahelps.org/en/dn/36542, or by mailing a cheque to the Times Colonist Literacy Society, 201-655 Tyee Rd., Victoria, B.C. V9A 6X5.

Thanks again for your support!