Meet Grace, Featured Volunteer for June 2025

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 learned about BTP because Kris and Chris (!) were tabling at the Seattle Art Book Fair in 2024 and I was attending. I just happened to walk past their table and liked the sound of volunteering immediately. That was a year ago now. I can’t pinpoint one particular reason I started volunteering; I’ve just always had a strong sense of justice and doing right by others. I grew up in Arizona, which has a large private prison industry. When I learned about that, combined with the fact that AZ is a border state and the criminalization of immigrants is rampant, I became aware of how quickly people can be swept up in the system of incarceration. For those of us who have never experienced incarceration, it can be hard to fathom just how many people are literally disappeared in our prison system. Volunteering with BTP helps me see the similarities between myself and those in prison, mainly that we all enjoy simple things like an entertaining book. For those in prison, that book can be a lifeline.

Is there anything you especially like about volunteering with us? What are your favorite parts of the process?

I’ve been volunteering consistently for almost a year now, and in the time it’s been great to see a steady stream of new volunteers being trained all the time. It’s nice to know that so many people from the community are supportive of BTP’s mission. I also really enjoy the company of the folks that I regularly see during my shifts. I pretty much wrap exclusively these days but I like seeing the packages that letter-answerers put together. Obviously we don’t always have the type of book someone is asking for; I like seeing how creative people can be when trying to fulfill someone’s request as closely as possible. Everybody starts off by responding to letters, even if they eventually move on to wrapping or other tasks. Some of the letters can be memorable.

Are there any requests that surprised you, or that you remember standing out in any way?

It’s not actually a letter I answered but one of the letter excerpts we have displayed around the space. The person wrote about how they entered prison very young and had been incarcerated for several years at that point. Through books they received, they felt like they traveled the world in all that time. That has always stuck with me. In another letter I came across when wrapping, the person wrote,” I pray you all will be safe as you travel down the path of life, and may you find shade and water along the way. And as you enter into a place may you be received with a warm embrace and a friendly smile.” For someone who has been deprived of so much, they extended so much kindness to the stranger that would read their letter.

In the time that you’ve been here, do you think that your views on the prison system, or what it’s like to be incarcerated, have changed? Please feel free to talk about those views if you would like.

I think because prisons are so bleak, it’s easy for those of us on the outside to assume that individuals in prisons must be hard-hearted to withstand their circumstances. Through volunteering and reading people’s letters, I’m always surprised at the amazing generosity that people show towards others. Often folks write saying that whatever they receive will be shared amongst others or donated to the prison library, or that they’re trying to accumulate books to start a prison library for the first time at their facility. I think it’s a good lesson for those of us on the outside to practice more generosity with what we have. 

Do you have any book recommendations for us? Is there anything you especially like to read in your spare time?

Like many people who write in requesting books, I love a good mystery. I must get it from my grandparents; I grew up watching BBC murder mysteries with them and reading Nancy Drew. Other than that, I love a historical fiction. I recently read one called The Square of Sevens that I couldn’t put down! 

Are there any other parting words that you’d like to share with whoever’s reading this?

There are many awesome organizations around the country trying to connect prisoners with resources, education, and entertainment. I encourage you to get involved with one!