Platypus Media is honored to help the 2000 Libros project by donating several of our popular bilingual books to their fundraiser! They are supplying much-needed books to children who are separated from their family at the US border.
About 2000 Libros
When Elizabeth Ballou heard of children and teens separated from their parents at the border, she knew she had to help. She grew up in a family who valued reading, and participated in a books-behind-bars program in college—she knew what a difference books make.
Elizabeth wanted to send books to these kids and decided to start her own initiative. She created 2000 Libros — a name based on the first numbers reported for children who were separated from their families — and reached out to DC Books to Prisons to help manage the overwhelming response.
This project supplies books to the country's youngest prisoners: immigrant children in detention centers. They seek new and gently-used Spanish-language and bilingual books for early to mid level readers.
Kristin Stadum, a long time volunteer with DC Books to Prisons, has been helping Elizabeth manage the project. She and her husband now collect and sort a small mountain of donations from their living room:
The women behind this project know, "Books are a small way of showing these children and teens that many other worlds exist. Hope, love, happiness, and wonder are available at the turn of a page."
To date, they have sent more than 1300 books to 18 different organizations (some of which manage multiple shelters). They want to provide books to as many kids as possible, both those who were separated from their families due to a shift in policy and those arrived at the border alone.
How to Help
Last week, Platypus Media donated over 75 of our bilingual books to this worthy cause: Si mi mamá fuera un ornitorrinco, Babies Nurse / Así se alimentan los bebés, and Cuddled and Carried / Consentido y cargado.
Although policies are subject to change, Kristin doesn't see the need for these donations going away any time soon. "Whether or not families continue to be separated at the border," she says, "there will always be children who show up at the border alone."
You can join us in supporting this cause at their website. In addition to cash donations, which will be used to buy boxes and pay for shipping, three online wish lists are available. DC-area residents who wish to support local businesses are encouraged to check out 2000 Libros' Politics and Prose wish list or East City Bookshop wish list. People who prefer to make purchases through Amazon can order books from their Amazon wish list.
Make a difference in a child's life by donating today in any way you can. If you don't wish to make a donation, please help us spread the word about this worthy cause!
We thank you.