Photo: Operation Paperback
I’ve posted a few entries over time about creative recycling of your gently used belongings. If you’ve got a pile or box or garage full of books you gobbled up and read, but they’re not the titles you want to pass on to future generations in your household (not a judgement on their quality, simply your plans), think about donating them to Operation Paperback, a non-profit organization that collects books nationwide and sends them to troops that are deployed overseas. More than 1.7 million books have already been sent, and yours can be next. Usually, the recipients of the books re-lend them to others in their unit, and a good read can make the rounds through entire platoons. In addition to general reading books (they provide you with the recipient overseas address, and you ship directly, using media mail postage rates–very inexpensive) there are targeted book requests that you might go purchase to send as well, including things like Iraqi and other language phrase books, children’s books that deployed service members read via web-cam to their families back home, professional books that support development goals, books for unit chaplains that are specific titles to support those who are being re-deployed, and more. You know how much sinking into a fantastic story can make time fly, so providing that experience to those who are on duty for us is a pretty brilliant reason to clean out your attic.
Change by Doing 