Bookmobile Tuesdays - A Book Trading Post on Wheels

by Shutaveya Ward, Neighborhood Connector for Good Samaritan Ministries

Getting kids interested in a positive activity was the goal in mind when the bookmobile came riding through Cascade one Tuesday afternoon. Cascade Apartments is the newest Neighborhood Connections site that Good Samaritan Ministries has developed along with other community partners in March 2013.“We needed a way to get Cascade’s kids involved in something positive for the summer. Something with little to no cost that was educational and also drew the kids’ attention,” Shutaveya Ward Community Connector in Cascade Apartments remarked.

The bookmobile, sponsored by West Ottawa Public Schools, has been around for over three decades as a book trading post on wheels driving around Holland, MI’s north side stopping at various locations.

Bookmobile Tuesdays is an event that was centered around the bookmobile coming to Cascade on Tuesdays. A partnership between Intersection ministries, Pine Creek Elementary School and Cascade Apartments combined reading, a healthy snack and fun games taught by youth. The bookmobile Tuesday event in Cascade quickly became a success as 13-20 kids gathered weekly to pick out books and read to volunteers of teachers at Pine Creek and youth group members at Intersection Ministries. The children of Cascade ranging in age from 3-12 found consistency in attending every Tuesday and began forming relationships with the volunteers from Pine Creek Elementary and Intersection Ministries. When the Bookmobile ended its tour for the summer on August 20^th the kids were sad to see it leave and asked to continue to meet on Tuesdays at the clubhouse of Cascade. Even though the Bookmobile is done for the season, the Tuesdays will continue at Cascade until the school year begins.