Grayslake Central Student Donates Bookshelves to The Book Bridge

A Grayslake Central senior sponsored four bookshelves for The Book Bridge, a Grayslake-based organization that provides books to needy children—and he even got the opportunity to see where these bookshelves would end up.

Derek Glennon sponsored handmade bookshelves that were delivered and placed in four Public Action to Deliver Shelter (PADS) apartments in Gurnee. 

Thanks to The Book Bridge and its donors, each of the families received 100 age-appropriate books for their children, who range in age fro 2 to 17 years old, said Pam Weiss, owner of The Book Bridge. 

"I personally enjoyed taking the bookshelves we had painted to the PADS shelter to see where they were donated," said Glennon. "This is what I think makes The Book Bridge such a great organization. I love seeing the faces as they receive their books and knowing that I am helping out not only younger children, but teens my age within the community."

Glennon is a member of Grayslake Central's National Honor Society and is therefore required to complete service hours. He decided to help The Book Bridge after learning about the organization from Weiss' son, Robert. 

"When I heard about his mom's organization, I thought it sounded like a great idea," said Glennon. "I thought Mrs. Weiss' organization would be a perfect way for me to get these service hours and help the community in a meaningful and lasting way."

Weiss said to sponsor a bookshelf, an individual or group must pay for the exact cost of lumber to build a bookshelf. The typical cost is about $40.

"The sponsor choose whether they want to paint it and run a book drive to help stock it," said Weiss. "In this case, Derek and his friend painted them and he chose from hundreds of books from our center to stock the bookshelves."

She plans to have bookshelves in five other PADS Gurnee apartments by early 2014.