DETROIT – Righting a wrong -- that’s how the leader of one Detroit grassroots organization describes the giving hearts of a group of Schoolcraft College students.
Around eight students in a children’s literacy class collected more than 1,000 books in three weeks for Hey Y’all Detroit.
Back in September, Hey Y’all Detroit’s bookmobile filled with $1,200 worth of new children’s books and 50 backpacks full of school supplies were stolen. Days later the SUV was found stripped and the books had pages ripped out.
“I really wanted to give up,” said Charmane Neal, executive director of Hey Y’all Detroit.
Three years ago, Neal started the organization to bring resources to families in need. The SUV was a way to deliver groceries and their pop-up library at community events. It was a gift from Neal’s parents and they had it for two weeks before it was stolen from in front of her home.
“I wanted to give up this year honestly and I’m sorry to be crying but I’m just really thankful that people cared enough to donate books to us,” Neal said.
She said the organization is still recovering from the situation and at the end of June she had to give away the last of their books.
“One of the kiddos that I work with, she had a really, really hard time last year and this year she lost her grandmother due to a stroke; her mom is actually really sick. I didn’t have books to give her last week, but I let her know that books are on the way and it’s like her face lit up and she’s so excited,” said Neal.
That’s all thanks to those Schoolcraft College students. Their children’s literature class has a service-learning component. Once they heard what happened to Hey Y’all Detroit, they felt compelled to get involved.
“. . . not only stole it, but went inside, rip through every single book that they had and destroyed it,” said student Angie Seranian. “It’s just like how you in your right mind do, morally do that to somebody, especially children’s books?”
“A lot of us put out different notes in our social media like Facebook. And some people even used like the Nextdoor app,” another student Taylor Tomlinson said.
Now, weeks later they’ve done more than just get involved.
Tomlinson works in child care and said, “It means everything. Some kids don’t have access to childcare, they don’t have access to toys, and the only thing that they have is their own imagination and a book can really take them there and help them escape.”
“For it to be not even a year later and this has happened, I don’t think people quite understand the impact that is having on me, my parents, the community,” Neal said.
Hey Y’all Detroit is still raising money for a new vehicle with better anti-theft technology. If you want to give, visit here.