Help us rebuild the Foothills Elementary Library
Tax deductible
On the morning of September 28th, the upper building of Foothills Adventist Elementary burned completely to the ground in the Glass Fire.
(image credit: Jessica Christian / The Chronicle)
This was my former elementary school, and also the school where my mom, Holly Racker, has volunteered for the last 13 years as their school librarian. When my mom first started as librarian there the year I graduated, the library was tiny and underused; with no books published since the 1970s on the shelves, it was no surprise that kids weren't interested in borrowing them. Over the last dozen years, she'd stocked the place with thousands of new and classic books, and transformed the place into a retreat for students to hear stories, find old favorites, discover new ones, and nurture a love of reading.
Besides buying more books, she'd also installed new shelving units and created a furnished space so kids could stay awhile and enjoy the cozy library. In addition to fulfilling the standard requirements of a librarian — checking books in and out and organizing the shelves — she also read dutifully to students, hosted an annual book fair, provided guessing and trivia games (with prizes!), plus end of year treats, and even decorated the space for holidays. She did all of this on an entirely volunteer basis with no monetary compensation, buying used books and finding deals to make her $500 annual budget stretch as far as possible.
Foothills is a small school with small means, and relies heavily on the donations and goodwill of others. Their insurance will help with the rebuilding, but it's unlikely very much if any of that money will be able to be allocated to the library my mom spent so much time and dedication curating.
Alumni, friends of the school, members of the community, and anyone anywhere who values literacy and the power of reading, please consider donating any amount you can to help restock the library's shelves and support my mom and Foothills' efforts to restore this space for future students.
Kindly,
Sarah Racker, Foothills alum and daughter of her favorite school librarian
(image credit: Jessica Christian / The Chronicle)This was my former elementary school, and also the school where my mom, Holly Racker, has volunteered for the last 13 years as their school librarian. When my mom first started as librarian there the year I graduated, the library was tiny and underused; with no books published since the 1970s on the shelves, it was no surprise that kids weren't interested in borrowing them. Over the last dozen years, she'd stocked the place with thousands of new and classic books, and transformed the place into a retreat for students to hear stories, find old favorites, discover new ones, and nurture a love of reading.
Besides buying more books, she'd also installed new shelving units and created a furnished space so kids could stay awhile and enjoy the cozy library. In addition to fulfilling the standard requirements of a librarian — checking books in and out and organizing the shelves — she also read dutifully to students, hosted an annual book fair, provided guessing and trivia games (with prizes!), plus end of year treats, and even decorated the space for holidays. She did all of this on an entirely volunteer basis with no monetary compensation, buying used books and finding deals to make her $500 annual budget stretch as far as possible.
Foothills is a small school with small means, and relies heavily on the donations and goodwill of others. Their insurance will help with the rebuilding, but it's unlikely very much if any of that money will be able to be allocated to the library my mom spent so much time and dedication curating.
Alumni, friends of the school, members of the community, and anyone anywhere who values literacy and the power of reading, please consider donating any amount you can to help restock the library's shelves and support my mom and Foothills' efforts to restore this space for future students.
Kindly,
Sarah Racker, Foothills alum and daughter of her favorite school librarian
Organizer
Sarah Racker
Organizer
Angwin, CA
Foothills Adventist Elementary School
Registered nonprofit
Donations are typically 100% tax deductible in the US.
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