Collecting books for needy

by Davy James, Staff Writer
   A slight coating of dust may rest on the sleeves and covers of books sitting on a shelf in the average home, yet students at Crossroads North Middle School are hoping to turn those books into food to help make the holidays brighter for local families in need.
   Sixth-grade students in the Polaris Unit at the school are seeking donations of new and used books for a book sale to be held in December. Proceeds from the event will be donated to the South Brunswick Food Pantry.
   ”Last year we did a book drive later in the year that raised about $1,000 that we donated to Elijah’s Promise Soup Kitchen in New Brunswick,” said sixth-grade teacher Andrea Cohen. “This year we decided to do the drive closer to the holidays with a focus on local charity.”
   The book drive runs from the beginning of October through the end of November with the book sale at the school on Dec. 5 from 3 to 5 p.m. It will be open to families of students at the school.
   Ms. Cohen said they have received book donations from BMI and are hoping for used and new book donations from members of the community. She said the drive is an important part of the values the district hopes to instill in its students.
   ”This helps foster the ideas of responsibility, empathy, assertion and the different characteristics we try to teach them,” Ms. Cohen said. “They feel a part of the community.”
   Ms. Cohen also said the drive lets the students experience a sense of ownership in something they have worked hard at.
   ”This gives them the chance to see what it feels like first hand to help people instead of just donating money,” Ms. Cohen said. “They see the hard work that goes into the whole production of the sale and they feel good about themselves for helping the less fortunate in the immediate area.”
   Those wishing to donate new and used books may drop off their donations at the Crossroads North Middle School main office.