themselves, then drop off in person, and they will take
comfort in knowing they had a big impact on the life of a kid
who lives right here in our own backyard.
Want a way to help? Drop off a new, unwrapped children’s
book at JFCS of the Suncoast on Fruitville Road. But,
Birnbaum notes, there are other ways to participate. Having a
dinner party? When the guests ask if they can bring anything,
mention that they could bring a book to donate to “Take a
Look—Buy a Book—Donate.” What about those who have
a poker, mahjong, or bingo group? Ask for everyone to
bring along a book donation for the next gathering. Having
a birthday? Maybe suggest a book donation versus another
gift you might not have a use for. And what about those who
aren’t shoppers but still want to help out? “Pick up a gift card
and send it along to JFCS earmarked for the book drive,”
Birnbaum says. “We’ll take it from there.”
“The spirt of volunteerism is alive and well in our
community,” explains Birnbaum. “Despite the pace and
pressure of everyday life, thousands of our friends and
neighbors are quietly reaching out in order to make a
difference in a variety of ways.” But she doesn’t take it for
granted. After the book drive is over, she sits at her kitchen
table and sends out thank you notes. “Success is sweetest
when it’s shared,” she says. Her hope is to see much to be
proud of and, when it’s all said and done, reported in the
JFCS of the Suncoast newsletter and website.
JANUARY 2018 | SARASOTA SCENE 95
philanthropy
“Designed to promote literacy to children from Pre-K to 5th grade—
with an emphasis on low-income and at-risk children—the program
seeks to provide new books to area youth.”
Sheila Birnbaum
having a presence there and
showcasing the program is a
great opportunity.”
The Sarasota County Library
system, too, has gotten
behind this program, allowing
Birnbaum to have bins in all
nine county libraries during
the month of February. They’ll
be easy to spot, Birnbaum
promises, since each bin will
be wrapped in children’s
designs.
Birnbaum counts herself
lucky to have so many willing
partners, such as the National
Council of Jewish Women,
the Kiwanis Club, Bank of
America, the Junior League
of Sarasota, and Designing
Women, which are just some
of the other partners willing to
help. But there’s always room
for more support.
Birnbaum adds that while
the people of Sarasota and
Manatee counties are very
supportive and giving, they
don’t always know where
that donation goes. With her
program, they can touch it.
They can feel it. It’s something
tangible that they can buy
Last year, some of the
2,200+ donated books
netted by the “Take a
Look—Buy a Book—
Donate” campaign went
to the sheriff’s department.
few in their car in case
they ever had a situation
where a child needed to
be distracted while the
parents. Plus they kept
some in the waiting room
at the police station for the
same reason. Other books
found their way to local
hospitals, especially to the
waiting rooms in pediatrics
really simply want the books
to reach the community,”
adds Birnbaum. JFCS of
the Suncoast case workers
and case managers directly
deliver most of the books
to children they know,
Birnbaum adds, since they
know exactly where the
greatest needs are.
A huge win for the program
is partnering with the
Library Foundation of
Sarasota County to allow
“Take a look—Buy a book”
to piggyback on James
Patterson’s February 7, 2018
visit to Sarasota. When
someone buys a ticket for
that event, they’ll be invited
to donate a book. Birnbaum
will have a drop-off bin at
the event, too, with signage
about the program. She says,
“It’s going to be a sellout
lunch crowd of 600, so
FOR MORE INFORMATION
about JFCS of the Suncoast or the “Take a Look—Buy a
Book—Donate” campaign, please visit www.jfcs-cares.org
or call 941.366.2224.