What got you interested in BTP to begin with, or what made you start volunteering? Does it tie in to the rest of your life in any meaningful way? Last spring, I heard that BTP was experiencing a backlog in responding to letters after the move to their current location. After reading more about their work, I jumped at the opportunity to volunteer for many reasons. Back in college, I had interned at an organization that provided access to higher education classes and tutoring t

Peg is part of a small group of volunteers who come in on Mondays to prepare the shelves for a busy week of volunteer sessions! What got you interested in BTP to begin with, or what made you start volunteering? Does it tie in to the rest of your life in any meaningful way? I had been following BTP for years after doing a search online for non-profits that have a mission for promoting education and literacy, and helping those in need. I supported BTP from afar by reading their

What got you interested in BTP to begin with, or what made you start volunteering? Does it tie in to the rest of your life in any meaningful way? After some previous book-adjacent volunteering commitments (library tutor, Reading Partners) had ended, I was looking for something new. BtP makes it so easy to get involved in a sustainable way with the flexible scheduling and self-paced work. Is there anything you especially like about volunteering with us? What are your favorite

Evie (left) is our youngest volunteer! This mother-daughter dynamic duo makes a weekly appearance at BTP to expertly fullfill requests! What got you interested in BTP to begin with, or what made you start volunteering? Does it tie in to the rest of your life in any meaningful way? Kate: I was looking for a volunteer opportunity for my daughter, Evie, and I to do together. I wanted to instill the importance of volunteering and giving back to your community. After a lot of r

Kim began volunteering with us in 2019, following our successful campaign to overturn the Washington State Department of Corrections' decision that April to ban donated books. They came in regularly during the first eight months of COVID to get what requests we were able to fulfill during that lean time ready for mailing. They were on our board for less than two years, but their influence on BtP continues to this day. They showed us that bookstore customers would buy and dona

What got you interested in BTP to begin with, or what made you start volunteering? Does it tie in to the rest of your life in any meaningful way? Over the summer, I decided I wanted to volunteer at local libraries and began combing the internet for opportunities. This led to the discovery of the Books to Prisoners website. The mission statement deeply resonated with me and I immediately reached out to contribute. I would not be the person I am today without books. They are in

You don't see the Wednesday morning shift on the weekly sign-up sheet, even though any volunteer is welcome from 9:30 am to 1:30 pm. When...

What got you interested in BTP to begin with, or what made you start volunteering? I actually started volunteering when my kids were...

What got you interested in BTP to begin with, or what made you start volunteering? Does it tie in to the rest of your life in any...

Michael Winkelhorst has been volunteering with Books to Prisoners for over eight years. He began when we were still in the church...

What got you interested in BTP to begin with, or what made you start volunteering? Does it tie in to the rest of your life in any meaningful way? I remember being quarantined in my small apartment in 2020 while the country contending with tectonic shifts in how it viewed itself brought about by a perfect storm of a pandemic no one knew much about and massive social unrest and global economic decline (I think this is the year we learned about “murder hornets” as well.) I felt

After coming in to wrap packages every Wednesday evening for a couple of years now, Marnie has stepped up to a new level of service....

Kris has volunteered with Books to Prisoners since 1989. Instead of our usual Featured Volunteer questions, we asked her about what it's...

Our featured volunteer this spring is Jackie. Jackie is a devoted volunteer who always diligently selects the perfect books for each...

Our featured volunteer this winter is Kim (she/they). Kim has been volunteering with BTP since June. Recently, she saw how many requests...

What got you interested in BTP to begin with, or what made you start volunteering? Does it tie in to the rest of your life in any...

What got you interested in BTP to begin with, or what made you start volunteering? Does it tie in to the rest of your life in any...

I became interested in BTP when I first heard about it, decades ago, when the facilities were located in Pioneer Square and volunteers...

Susan began volunteering with us in April. Board member Andy Chan recalls, “When I first met Susan it was clear she took the work very...

You won’t see Roger and Susan during shifts very often, but they make enormous contributions behind the scenes. When “Books to Prisoners”...