(Updated 1/30/12)
Helping Hamilton County Grow...One Mind at a Time
When you sell (give) a man a book you don't sell (give) just twelve ounces of paper and ink and glue. You sell (give) him a whole new life. Love and friendship and humour and ships at sea by night - there's all heaven & earth in a book - a real book. Christopher Morley
Here's what we're doing through our bookstore in Aurora (with the "behind the idea information below"). We're trying to raise enough money over each year to give away 5000 books in our county per year. In 2011 we were able to give away 1450 books in our area to those grieving, students, patients, young mothers, and the elderly.
We've gotten this idea from a bookstore that worked with the school I taught at in California. The bookstore owner did this with the businesses & I've just never taken the time to try to pull it off here. Now I have the time to pull it together. We're going to give books at the hospitals (immunization clinics, births, and doctors/nurses books to have to give away, grief books to those going through painful times, books to the kids at the schools that teachers can use any way they wish, ....I've listed who I've talked to so far that are in on it. Don't feel bad at all if it's not what you can do, but if you can, I could really use the help to fund this & that would be great.
Below are more details on how much the books cost wholesale. I am coordinating this, but businesses, individual donations of used books for our used bookstore, and anonymous donations are making it work out. You can deduct it as an advertising expense because I can put your business on the certificates for the students & in bookmarks that I give out in all the books here at the store. Your business will be on the list for all of Aurora, too (hospital, schools....it's a list of all involved in the county project.)
Thanks for thinking about this. We could use your help, but aren't in the least offended if you can't!!! (grin) You can e-mail me (family@hamilton.net), or call (402-694-2244. Thank you!!! Susan
Accounting, Attorneys, Financial Planning
Cline, Williams, Wright, Johnson & Oldfather, LLP
Dohlman, Akerlund & Eddy, LLC
Edward Jones Investments
Potts & Levering PC
Agricultural & Equipment:
Aurora Coop
Grain Place Foods
Green Line Equipment (John Deere)
Grosshans International
Hamilton Equipment Sales & Service
Heuermann Foundation
Menke Farms - Marquette, NE
Norder Supply, Inc.
Automobile Dealers, Repair, & Service:
Advanced Motorsports
Advantage Chevrolet, Buick, Pontiac
Rich & Sons RV/Camper Sales – Grand Island
TO Haas Tire
Todd’s Body & Glass
Wortman Motor Co.
Banks:
Cornerstone Bank
Heritage Bank
Pinnacle Bank
Construction, Contractors
ABC General Contractors
A-May-Zing Construction - Hampton
Custom Wood Products - Henderson
Danish Oak - Hampton
GE Peters, Inc.
Mike Nelson Land Developers
Paschke Brothers Construction
Professional Building Inspections, Inc. – Hampton
Sack Lumber Co.
Todd’s Stump Removal
Willis General Contracting
Dentists:
Aurora Dental Clinic (Dr. Allen)
James D. Anderson, D.D.S.
Health (Fitness, Exercise, Salons, & Pharmacy):
Aurora Physical Therapy
Aurora Wash House
Curves
Main Street Salon - Hampton
Jazzercize
Jim’s USave
Touch of Health
Heating/Air Conditioning/Plumbing/Repair:
Obermeier Repair
Industry, Service & Manufacturing:
Great Plains Meter
Hamilton Equipment
Hamilton Telecommunications
Interstate Batteries
Proctor & Gamble (Iams)
Sukup Manufacturing
Library Sales and Donations:
Central City Public Library
Central City Public Schools
Clay Center Public Library
Hastings Public Library
York Public Library
Insurance:
Cornerstone Insurance Group
Rickert Insurance – Hampton
Shelter Insurance
Realtors:
Thomas Realty
Restaurants and Food Services:
Aurora Meat Block
Espressions Coffee Shop
Henderson Meat Processors
McDonalds
Runza
Super Foods
Transport:
Eberly & Sons Trucking
Nelson Transporters
Rex Richter Trucking, Inc
Stettner Trucking – Hampton
Veterinarians:
Sullivan Animal Clinic
Behind the Idea:
For years we have wanted to be able to give to give "book certificates" to reward older kids that are involved in extra-curricular academic/community work (non-sport...FBLA, FCG, Speech, 4-H, Boy Scouts, etc.) The younger children at the schools would be able to pick whatever book they would like at the store with their certificate, so the book they receive is one they are proud to own.
We also have wanted to give books to new parents at the hospital (a board book by Sandra Boynton or Bill Martin) & books called Great Books for Boys (Girls) Ages 2-14 at immunization clinics with descriptions of 600 books in each book for the new parents to have for a reference on books to get in their homes.
We have also wanted to give a book to those in the community dealing with grief...and.....we would also like for the hospital to have books that are selected by the individual nurses and doctors to give out to their patients behind the scenes of what we cannot know about because of their confidentiality rules - books that would help families dealing with different situations (including books given to those with handicapped children).
The businesses in our community are working together, along with private contributions...knowing that we all care, we just don't know what we can do. Collaboratively we can accomplish an amazing amount. Once we get this program going, then we can each year ask for sponsors (assuming that once it's in place it won't be a challenge to keep growing)....there truly isn't a limit. We haven't included Sutton, Harvard)....there really isn't an end to where the outreach could go. Showing that we all do care...
