Familiar Faces, Then Relief
Greetings from Street Books:
When frigid weather hit Portland last month, Street Books' Community Outreach Director, Diana Rempe, delivered hot soup to one of our community partners, the peer-led Ground Score, who opened their warehouse as a warming center during the worst days of the storm. As the ice began to melt, our street librarians hurried to their shifts to learn how our patrons had survived. Our librarian Yimei summed up our collective sentiments in a library shift report:
"Every familiar face we saw was a not-so-small triumph and a deep sigh of relief that they had made it through the ice."
Diana Rempe offers books & supplies at the Ground Score library shift
Beyond the books and survival gear we provide at Street Books, it's our deep relationships that allow us to build the community of care so essential for our city, and for our world. Knowing each person and their unique story meant our librarians could check on patrons who were stranded outside in the arctic chill after the county closed warming shelters, while the city remained shut down due to icy conditions. Every day it means helping to connect patrons to a motel voucher, referring them to an opening at a safe rest village, or an opportunity to recover a lost ID. We meet people where they are, literally, offering genuine connection and a community built on trust.
Last year, Street Books provided:
More than 7,500 (mostly donated) books
786 pairs of reading glasses
962 coloring books
1,736 doses of Narcan
Survival supplies, including 60 tents, 60 sleeping bags, more than 250 tarps, 400 flashlights, 480 hygiene kits, countless wound care supplies, clothes, hats and gloves
A Bookstore for Us
You can now support Street Books by visiting KISS Coffee, (3016 NE Ainsworth Street). Neighbors and cafe patrons can purchase used books to generate funds for the Street Books library, and find some great deals, since each book is only $5.
at right: Piper from KISS Coffee models the new bookshelf
“We created this partnership as a way to share more books, support a local business, provide a fun resource to the neighbors and raise funds for Street Books,” says Monica Beemer, Director of Operations & Development. The collaboration with KISS means we can accept donations of hardback books again, since whatever we can't use on the library, we can pass on to the cafe to be resold on behalf of Street Books. Big thanks to Trae and Sarah Pearson and the KISS Coffee staff for their generous support! Find their hours, menu and story here!
Interested in donating books to Street Books? Visit our Wish List for more information.