01/15/2024
Hi there! 👋
I share the news of Project Open Books’ formal conclusion with a heavy, but proud heart. The idea that grew into Project Open Books came to me four years ago. I deeply wanted to create more opportunities for young people to see themselves represented in books. We did just that.
Between hitting the ground running in early 2021 to now, we’ve been able to provide readers with over $23,000 in books. We reached people in nearly 40 US states, and have sent books internationally to Europe and Canada. We’ve collaborated with teachers by supporting book clubs, offering classroom sets, facilitating virtual author meet and greets, and sharing additional resources with educators committed to allyship and the creation of safe spaces. We attended pride events annually where we connected with people of all ages with one purpose; to hand out free books. We certainly hand-packaged a lot of books (1,665 to be exact!), and we kept the USPS pretty busy each week during our peak busy times. 😉
The conclusion of Project Open Books certainly doesn’t reflect the growing need to combat content censorship, especially for young LGBTQ+ people. I hope that you’ll find other organizations with similar missions in your community to support & follow along with. The truth is that I cannot successfully manage our volunteer operation with my increased personal and professional responsibilities. This was a very challenging reality to come to understand, but one I must welcome.
The contributions and kind words from so many of you have meant the world to me throughout this process. Thank you so very much for everything. I mean it wholeheartedly. I never thought we would have made such a splash.
A huge thank you to my volunteer board members for making all of this possible 💚 .lisa11 & Robert White
Here’s to everything that we were able to accomplish together! Thank you.
Josh 🌅
