Redemption

Day 140: Redemption and Other Books

The focus for the next ten days is going to be books. That's because the American Association of University Women's final book drop-off date is August 16, and I want to turn in as many there as I can.

Giving away books until the AAUW
drop-off closes on August 16

The AAUW book sale featured large in my childhood. My mom started volunteering for AAUW well before my memory dawns. Every year, our basement became stacked full of cardboard cartons, crammed with books people had donated to the sale. Once, our basement flooded while we were on vacation. I believe that was the last year we were asked to store books.

We saw less and less of my mom in the weeks leading up to the event. Back then, the sale took place in the Michigan Union ballroom, a huge, beautiful room mobbed with people for the three days of the sale. I didn't understand what it was all about, but I liked to browse among the books, wander through the Union, and sit beside my mom at the cash box.

A few years ago, my mom invited me an AAUW luncheon. Two scholarship recipients - beneficiaries of the sale proceeds - spoke. Up until then, I'd thought the sale was an awful lot of work for only a little gain: last time I got a report (granted, this was a long time ago) sale proceeds were in the neighborhood of $10K. I'm well aware of the many hours these dedicated volunteers put into the sale; I'm guessing they might earn $10K or more putting the same number of hours into minimum wage jobs.

Both scholarship recipients actually wept when they spoke at the podium. One was an older single mother. The other was a young woman, first in her family to go to college. Both were attending the University of Michigan, and both told the audience that they could not have afforded to go to college without the AAUW scholarship. Even $10,000 divided by two can make a big difference in someone's life.

The university-educated women who belong to and volunteer for AAUW aren't interested in low-paying jobs. They want the connection and community that comes from joining together in service of a larger purpose. So if you, like me, are getting rid of one thing every day - or just occasionally - consider giving your books to AAUW. You'll know your good books are going to a good cause.