Two new book donations from Lisa Libraries in Kingston, New York, together worth $6,465.00,
came to Wabash County United Fund in late October and early November, 2021, following an
initial donation in the spring of last year. In that first donation, 549 books, worth more than
$5,000, were sent to Wabash County United Fund by Lisa Libraries and distributed throughout
the county to Pre-K and Kindergarten students in Title I schools, county Area Five Head Starts
and early learning centers.
The second donation was received on October 24, 2021 and included an assortment of 108
books plus 8 CDs, worth $1,313.00, which the United Fund distributed to our two Area Five
Head Starts in Laketon and Wabash, to Title I Metro-North Elementary School’s and L.H.
Carpenter Early Learning Center’s Pre-K three-year old students, and to BABE of Wabash
County, Inc.
The third donation was 644 books, made up of 46 sets of 14 different Diary of a Wimpy Kid
books, written by Jeff Kinney. These books, worth $5,152.00, arrived on November 8, 2021 and
were distributed to second and third graders in our county Title I elementary schools, including
Manchester, Metro-North, O.J. Neighbours, and Southwood. Sharp Creek Elementary School
received one complete set for their library.
This is what the Lisa Libraries say about their organization: “The Lisa Novak Community Libraries
was started by Ann M. Martin and friends to honor and memorialize children’s book editor Lisa
Novak. Since its founding in 1990, more than 400,000 new children’s books have been donated to organizations that benefit under-served children across the country, and given to children
who may never have owned a book before. Ann is a children’s author best known for writing
The Baby-sitters Club series. She has also written A Corner of the Universe, A Dog’s Life, Rain
Reign, the Doll People books (with Laura Godwin) and other series and individual titles.”
The Wabash County United Fund is grateful that the Lisa Libraries more than fully filled their
grant request of 1,200 early elementary level books so that young children in Wabash County
may be encouraged to read and add to their home libraries.
