As students strive to emphasize service at Webb this year, Webb’s Prison Library Project Club organized their first weekend community service trip to volunteer at the Claremont Forum’s Prison Library Project. The Prison Library Project’s goal is to package and organize books to send to 600 different federal and state prisons to help inmates acquire the books that they requested.
The Webbies who were interested in community service previously signed up for this event through an email with a Sign-Up Genius link. After they arrived at the Claremont Village at 12:25 p.m. on Saturday, December 14th, the Claremont Forum manager gave a brief lecture on the Prison Library Project’s history and a basic lesson on how to wrap the books. The edges of the wrapped books needed to be covered completely with tape, and a shipping label needed to be attached to the front of the package. The seven members of the PLP club wrapped a total of 21 books and spent a relaxing afternoon working for this admirable cause.
“I enjoyed helping out with the PLP! Reading has always been a favorite pastime of mine so being able to share that with others who don’t have the same access to books was great,” said Sofia Centeno (’22), a PLP club member.
“Volunteering at PLP and wrapping books may seem boring, but it is nothing of the sort,” said Joanna Yap (‘22), a PLP club member. “Not only do you develop a stronger relationship with the students around you as you wrap the books together, but you also pay attention to the kind of books you’re given and gain a deeper understanding of the books that get sent to the prisons.”
“It sounds like [the PLP club members] maxed out on the impact they could make at the PLP. These service-based events are some of the most valuable and rewarding weekend activities,” said Ken Rosenfeld, Dean of Student Life. “I have the privilege of helping coordinate. When students ask for a run to help with a local charity, I am inspired to work as hard for them as they do for those they are dedicating a part of their weekend to help.”
The PLP club is planning on organizing monthly runs to the Claremont Forum next semester and kicking off 2020 with more community service opportunities for the Webb community.
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