Books Building Dreams reaches out to children

Most people satisfy their charitable urges by donating an extra dollar in the collection box at Walmart or volunteering at the local animal shelter, but for IU student Jordan Feldstein, that wasn’t enough. He decided to start his own charity.

Feldstein, a junior studying entrepreneurship, is the founding coordinator of Books Building Dreams, a charity book drive designed to collect books for displaced children across Indiana.

The drive, which Feldstein said he hopes to begin this Friday, will aim to help children who are hospitalized, homeless or cannot be home with their families for one reason or another.

“These kids are in a real unfortunate position in their lives, so I hope that giving them these books will do two things,” Feldstein said. “It will show them, one, that somebody is thinking and caring about them, and then it’ll get them in the habit of reading, learning and growing.”

Like most people looking to help, Feldstein began by looking for volunteer opportunities at local charities. After receiving little to no response, he said he decided to take matters into his own hands.

An avid reader, Feldstein said he gathered a group of friends who decided with the holidays coming up, a book drive would be a great way to help children and their families.

He began reaching out to local and regional organizations like the Riley Hospital for Children and Middle Way House, as well as small adoption agencies who had a need for books.

Dena Vincent, head librarian at the Edward A. Block Family Library at Riley, said the book drive could be a great help for the hospital.

“It’s a huge help to the families if they can be in the waiting room and have something to do,” she said. “And our families really miss it when there’s nothing on the half-price book carts.”

At Riley, the half-price carts enable children to keep one free book while the others are distributed to patients, Vincent said.

While the drive is geared toward younger children, Feldstein said they’re looking for anything ranging from coloring books to young adult novels. 

For those who don’t want to simply donate, Books Building Dreams is also in need of volunteers, he said. Anyone with an hour or two to spare a month is needed to help contact local businesses and set up collection boxes as well as help run promotions.

He also wants people to know that helping out can be as simple as becoming friends with the group on Facebook. 

“If someone fans our page and posts on the wall, it shows the charity to a dozen more potential volunteers,” Feldstein said.

Though the kids are the most important part, Feldstein said he wants to use this experience as an opportunity to show people how easy it is to make a difference.

At first, he said he was calling around and getting nowhere. Then he began to get calls back. People were finding him and wanting to help. 

“People always need help,” he said. “But I think a lot of people are hesitant to be the first person to stand up and start something.”