Earth Day Book Drive

I’ve always loved April 22 – Earth Day. I try to do something special in honor of it every year. My senior year of college, I worked as the ASU Environmental Issues Director. The job was a dream; I was in charge of promoting environmental awareness on campus and loved it.

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For Earth day that year, I worked for months contacting local and national agencies, gathering information that students might find helpful and signed up venders who had eco-friendly products to sell. I also arrange for speakers, musicians and entertainers to attend. The morning of Earth Day was stressful, but before I left my house I had something important I had to do.

I took a pregnancy test.

“What does it say,” the counselor said just outside the bathroom door.

I couldn’t say anything because I was crying.

Finally I opened the door and jumped in his arms.

“We’re having a baby,” I cried with joy.

With the momentum of expecting my first baby, I drove to ASU and helped set up for Earth Day. Earth Day took on a whole new meaning to me.

Years later while running the Village Connection Nanny Agency (read about that little adventure here); my friend Jen and I sponsored Earth Day at the Scottsdale Center for the Arts.

Images found here.

We arranged for Grammy-nominated musician William Eaton and his band to perform. Like before, I contacted local agencies and venders who would be interested in attending. In addition, we sponsored a book drive. We worked with BASHAS, a local grocery store, to collect new and gently-used books which we later donated to charity. It was a great success; we raised awareness for a variety of different environmental causes and attracted new clients and nannies to our business.

The next year, Jen and I sponsored the children’s venue at Sun Festival, a huge Earth Day Event at West World in Scottsdale. We also sponsored another book drive. Our hearts shifted more into the non-profit work and less and less with our nanny agency. Our poor clients! The must have felt very neglected during the month of April.

This year, my heart has turned to Earth Day again. For months, I’ve wondered what I can do, but like the rest of us, I’ve been a bit busy. Baby girl is due April 12^th, so clearly I’m not throwing a huge blow-out community event with musicians and artists, but I do want to do something special.

After much research, I’ve found the Friends of the Phoenix Public Library (http://www.phoenixlibraryfriends.org/about-us/aboutus.aspx). Their organization collects books throughout the year to donate to a variety of different groups in the valley. The more I read about them, the more impressed I was. I want to collect books for them; lots and lots of books.

Once again, My Dear Trash is asking readers and followers to turn their trash into something special. If you have any new or gently-used books, any age or genre is fine, that you were planning to throw out or donate, I’d like to ask that you set them aside for this event.

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The My Dear Trash book drive starts April 1, 2010 and ends on Earth Day. I’ll keep you posted on drop-off sites, but for now just set them aside and tell your family and friends to do the same. If you don't live in the Phoenix area, plan on donating your gently used books to your local library. Tell them it's in honor of Earth Day and keep the momentum going.

Mother Earth and all her children will love you for it.