With over 16,000 volumes of books available for students at Cathedral’s University of San Diego High School Library and additional publications accessible on the school’s online library system, books are clearly a surplus to be found on campus.
Unfortunately, however, the same cannot be said for San Diego’s Fay Elementary School, Horace Mann Middle School and Rady Children’s Hospital.
Thus, it is the above-mentioned’s need for resources that has spurred the National Honor Society (NHS) to select a book drive as their annual project and to excitedly collaborate with Rady Children’s Hospital Club to support education among schools and organizations in need.
After starting a little over a week ago on January 14th, the drive came to a close January 25th. “The drive is a way to promote learning in the community and a life of learning. If everyone brought in one book, it would be a phenomenal drive. Just one is all we really need from everybody, as the student body is so great,” said academic advisor Mrs. Valerie Charat. “These local inner city schools are some of the lowest performing schools in San Diego, as they are in the bottom 50% of the nation in terms of testing, and nearly 100% of their students are on free or reduced lunch.”
Catholic Faith 10 teacher Mr. Daniel Spellacy also appeared to be fully supportive of the drive and explained that when Senior James Morris, who has been working closely with the Rady Children’s Hospital Chadwick Center in order to help keep children safe, presented the idea to Cathedral representatives.
“The idea of the book drive came about because I’m an author, and I also work with Mysterious Galaxy bookstore down in Claremont Mesa. The people there are so amazing. They helped to come up with the idea and were the original supporters,” said James.
Nevertheless and regardless of how the idea was originally thought up, the idea of the book drive is still one within the same.
“The books that we are asking for are being given to students and children ranging from the pre-school to the high school level. A variety of books are being accepted, so whatever you think they would like to read- whether they be storybooks or coloring books- as long as they are in good condition, they will be accepted. As for where these books can be found, if not in one’s own home, students can think of re-gifting books they have been given, shopping at Barnes and Nobel or any other book store, or even a thrift store- for the inner city schools at least. Furthermore, if they were new, I would certainly take them, since Rady Children’s Hospital is asking for only new ones,” said Mr. Spellacy. “For those at the hospital, the books are more for entertainment and to pass the time than anything else.”
James could not have agreed more when he said, “The books are worlds to escape to. A place where the hero always wins and good prevails. I like to believe that books can change peoples’ lives and minds. If, at the very least, it is a way to spend their time, then this whole drive is worth it.”
Furthermore, it is evident that the book drive is not only changing the lives of those receiving the publications, but also those giving them. “A lot of what Cathedral is doing is collaborative learning, so this was a change for us to try our hand at collaborative volunteering,” said Mrs. Charat.
