Partners For Books - Waste not, want not

Sometimes all it takes is a simple phone call to mark the beginnings of a great partnership.

Visiting the books at the DFO warehouse

Bill Penney, Parrican Imaging, Mount Pearl called the Literacy Development Council office to tell them of a book surplus destined for the Robin Hood Bay Dump. These books were overprints or surplus that Breakwater Books were removing from storage to make room for future publications. That phone call initiated the project, resulting in a working group of partners spearheaded by the Literacy Development Council. Partners included Breakwater Books, Parrican Imaging and Design, VOCM Cares Foundation, 3M Canada, Canada Post, 36th Service Battalion and Day & Ross.

A committee was struck, chaired by Lucy Stoyles, member of LDC. With the help of the Mount Pearl Kinettes and others, the books were relocated and stored at the Department of Fisheries where they were boxed and labeled ready for shipment in early December. The books were distributed free of charge, by Day & Ross, to schools, libraries and literacy organizations across the island, with Canada Post sending a shipment of books to Labrador, also free of charge.

A total of 40,000 books were distributed across Newfoundland & Labrador, bringing together many community partners and most importantly supplying a much needed reading resource to our communities.

Canada Post Individual Achievement Award

Mr. Richard Miller of Shoal Harbour was this year's recipient of the Canada Post Individual Achievement Award presented at the Delta Hotel in St. John's on October 30, 2001.

L-R: Annie Miller, Richard Miller and the Honorable Judy M. Foote at Canada Post Awards Ceremony

After facing a medical emergency with his son and unable to locate the doctor's phone number in the directory, Richard Miller made a life altering decision to learn to read. He began with a Laubach tutor and later enrolled in the Adult Basic Education (ABE) program at the College of the North Atlantic in Clarenville. With the encouragement and support of his instructor/mentor, Nick Donovan, Richard Miller has achieved his goal.

Richard has also become an inspiration to others and continues to volunteer to help other adult learners. He is a strong advocate of the importance of staying in school, regularly volunteering his time to speak to young people on the issue of education.

Congratulations Richard!