As a child, my mother would always encourage us to visit the neighborhood library to check out books.  I was always fascinated by the imagery in the stories, as well as the trials and triumphs of the characters.  Books allowed me to travel metaphorically to far away places, meet historical figures, and explore a multitude of diverse interests from home.  I love books because there is something for everyone, insofar as they transcend socioeconomic background, ethnicity, race, gender, and age.

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Reading books at an early age helped me forge a pathway to pursue an interest in helping people, leading to a career Social Work.  To me, books are not just words on a page but tools that can promote social development, cohesion, and most importantly empower individuals in society. 

 

My love of reading inspired me to establish a Children's Library and Reading Program at the church my husband pastored.  Once my husband retired from pastoring, I wanted to encourage more children in the community to read.  On June 1, 2015, I started a nonprofit organization called Books For Birthdays, Inc. with the mission to distribute new personalized books to children in foster care on their birthday.  On July 1, 2015 we began our distribution of books to the Iredell County Department of Social Services Foster Care Program.

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"I truly believe that the most important gift you can give a child is a book, because it's the gift of knowledge that will remain with them for the rest of their lives."  - Jeanette Dickens