For love of literature
Children’s book project honors late Marie Morrison
SARATOGA SPRINGS — A project started by a community woman who died two years ago is being kept alive by her friends and family, and it’s aimed at providing children with quality reading material.
Marie Morrison, who died of lung cancer in 2010, started the project in 2002. After her death, her husband and the volunteers and friends with whom she worked decided to honor her by naming the children’s book project after her.
The project is independent, and the five volunteers provide 100 percent of the children’s books, gradually gathering them over the course of the year from yard sales, thrift shops and library book stores.
About two weeks before Christmas, Helen Gaige, Niki Mook, Marion Renning, Wes Neer and Paul LeBlanc gift-wrapped several hundred books and dropped them off at organizations throughout the county, including the Presbyterian-New England Congregational Church soup kitchen, Saratoga County Economic Opportunity Council and Franklin Community Center.
Each member of the project also volunteers each Friday in the Book Bag Shop at Saratoga Springs Public Library, the used bookstore located in the library.
Marie’s husband, Charlie Morrison, said her love of books and reading inspired her to start the annual holiday children’s book project.
“She was brought up during the depression, and she was very poor,” Morrison said about his wife. “Her escape outlet, in many ways, came through reading and going to the public library in New York City.”
The chosen books are in almost-new condition and are selected and sorted by age group, ranging from toddler to young adult.
One of the volunteers, Renning, said books are expensive, sought- after items for many needy families and that she has seen some children receive their first books during the project.
“A boy from a large family got a book, and he had never owned a book of his own before. He held it to his chest and said, ‘ This is mine.’ People are very appreciative,” Renning said.
Morrison expressed his gratitude for the volunteer’s hard work in keeping the book project alive and said his wife would have considered the project, affectionately named the Marie Morrison Annual Holiday Children’s Book
‘They all have passed their lifelong love of books on to the children who receive their gifts.’ Charlie Morrison husband of the late Marie Morrison
Project, to be a great honor.
“They all have passed their lifelong love of books on to the children who receive their gifts,” Morrison said.
During her lifetime, Marie Morrison brought books into the lives of countless individuals. In 1967, she was the principal founder of the Clifton Park Library, starting out on the second floor of a bank with only one box of books. Now the Clifton Park Library is worth nearly $15 million.
In 1996, Morrison started an outreach program through the library, and her husband said she singlehandedly delivered more than 40,000 books to people in numerous organizations, including nursing homes and prisons.
Morrison likely would be pleased to know that her generous nature and desire to spread books to people is living on this holiday season.
For more information on the chaplaincy program, go to www.rtcany.org.