Home »
Time for good books, a gift under every tree
This is the fifth year that Columbia Basin Alliance for Literacy (CBAL) has partnered with the Salvation Army and Sunrise Rotary’s Angel Tree project and the citizens of Cranbrook to provide gift-quality books for toddlers, children, teens and adults for Christmas.
This year’s Book Under Every Tree will be dedicated to the memory of Wilf Williams, who, with his wife Mae, approached CBAL coordinator Katherine Hough in 2010 to start the program in Cranbrook. Wilf passed away earlier in the year.
Over 300 children received books last year through this program.
Collection boxes for new or gift-quality used books are located at: the Cranbrook Public Library; Lotus Books; The Key City Theatre; Christ Church Anglican; Western Financial and the Alliance Church.
As well, Family Connections at 209 16th Avenue North (formerly the Bingo Hall, next to the Memorial Arena) will be accepting books.
Also watch for a book drive being done at the College of the Rockies with the assistance of the UVic teacher training students. Please be sure that the books have no marks, names, torn pages etc. as they are intended as gifts.
Books are collected until Dec 17 then sorted and bagged in specially made drawstring bags and then given to the families collecting Christmas hampers or gifts through the Angel Tree program. We also invite the parents and other adults receiving Salvation Army hampers to choose a book as a Christmas gift from the community when they pick up their hampers.
Cranbrook has been generous in the past and we know that the need continues with the expected number of children receiving books to be over 350. Volunteers have already made over 200 bags and now we need volunteers to help sort and bag the books.
Anyone wishing to volunteer please call Katherine Hough, Community Literacy Coordinator, 250-417-2896 or [email protected] .
Above photo: It’s that time again for A Book Under Every Tree! Left to Right: CBAL Literacy Coordinator for Cranbrook Katherine Hough, Sunrise Rotary Club Angel Tree Coordinator Allan Davis, Librarian Deanne Perreault, Mae Williams with photo of the late Wilf Williams and Captain Linda Green of The Salvation Army, invite everyone to donate gift-quality books.
