Sam Phillips is a 5th grade student in Denver, Colorado, USA.
Each year his teacher requires the class to do a communitiy service project.
Each student chooses an organization and commits themselves to volunteer
and document their activities. Sam learned about the Books for Israel Project through some flyers that had been placed at his synagogue. He thought running a bookdrive would be a great way to show his support for kids in Israel.

Sam spent a lot of time making detailed posters to place around his school.
At first there was not a large response. He then consulted with his mom and decided to make a schoolwide announcenent over the intercom. He also asked his school principal to place an announcement about the bookdrive in the school's weekly bulletin. As a result of the extensive coverage and Sam's persistence, a significant number of donations began to come in as children chose from their favorite titles to donate for the drive.

Each day when classes were over, Sam would empty the collection box
and carry the books home from school in his backpack. At the end of the school year,
he checked all the books, put labels into each book designated for mailing... and packed a total of five boxes full of high interest children's books, including some 500 titles!

Sam is very happy to have helped support English language learners in Israel by establishing and enriching libraries of good children's literature. He hopes to continue this project on an even larger scale through his school and synagogue next fall!

Thanks so much, Sam!  And thanks also to your mom for her support!

Sam begins boxing up the books

Sam checks each book and gives them a sticker before boxing them up for mailing.

The sticker that will appear  in each book Sam collects and sends

Sam and his mom hold up the poster made to present Sam's bookdrive project  to his classmates.