Barnes & Noble teaming up with Elijah’s Closet for Holiday Book Drive

GULFPORT, Miss. (WXXV)- A trip to the bookstore could help make the holidays a little brighter for children across South Mississippi.

Barnes & Noble in Gulfport is teaming up with Elijah’s Closet for its annual Holiday Book Drive.

Elijah’s Closet is a nonprofit providing clothing, bedding, and other essential items to children in foster care and those at risk of entering care.

This year, Barnes & Noble selected the organization as the beneficiary of its annual Holiday Book Drive.

Starting November 1, the Barnes & Noble in Gulfport will give customers the opportunity to donate books to families served by Elijah’s Closet. Elijah’s Closet President Nikki Williams said, “With the drive running through December 14, and it is being so close to Christmas, it is a great time for families who are struggling financially to be able to come and collect books from us. And again, depending on the amount of donations we receive, we can do an open house. So, if we have a lot of donations, we’ll do an open house. Families can come and get them. They can wrap them for their kids for Christmas, and it’s beneficial both ways. It’s a gift for the child, but it also is a learning experience for them, and they need to keep up with that.”

Williams says many families struggle to afford books, making donations like these an important resource for the children and families they serve. “We believe that reading is very important for our children. It is very, very important. My daughter is five. She’s in kindergarten. I am going through it right now with teaching her how to read.”

Through the holiday book drive, customers can purchase one or more books at checkout to be donated to Elijah’s Closet.

Organizers say the number of families they’ll be able to help will depend on the community’s generosity. The drive runs through December 14.