Lots of books needed lots of sorting

To honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy, today is a National Day of Service. President-elect Obama visited wounded soldiers at Walter Reed Army Medical Center before stopping at Sasha Bruce House (a shelter for homeless teens) where he rolled up his sleeves and helped paint the walls.

In the spirit of service, David and I took the Metro down to  Shaw Junior High School (near Howard University) and joined dozens of volunteers sorting through books that had been emptied out of now-closed schools. It was a complete jumble! Middle school books were mixed in with elementary and pre-school. History, math and fiction with biography, poetry and science. Our job? To sort them by categories (tossing out outdated ones and any books in poor condition) and box them up so that school librarians could easily shelve them in their new homes in other schools in DC.

Even when it comes to books, a picture is worth a thousand words!

Annie, Sarah and Caitlin, both from Marin!

Sorting through Fairy Tales, Social Studies and Science books

Right before this stack toppled

Any day can be a day of service to your school or  your community. Dr. King said that true greatness comes in serving others. Lending a helping hand also makes you feel good about who you are. Interested? There’s a Global Youth Service Day coming up in April. How can you be of service?