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Michael Dolores

Apr 14
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Volunteer Highlight – Tyler Cohen

By General
Volunteer Spotlight

Tyler Cohen

Tyler Cohen of Butler Cohen does not allow geographic boundaries to deter his volunteer activities.

Back in December 2024, Tyler Cohen volunteered at the first free book fair his company sponsored in Dallas, Texas. From the start, it was evident that Tyler enjoyed interacting with the kids and encouraging them to read the books they selected. “Book Drive for Kids has a tremendous mission,” he said,”and we are excited to support it.”

Fast forward to February 2025. Tyler visited another school serving low-income families located in Houston. Right away he noticed the need for more books for these students. He also remembered the joy and excitement he witnessed at the free book fair in Dallas so he called Book Drive for Kids and asked how he could bring a free book fair to this deserving school in Houston.

We were delighted to explain how our Remote Book Fairs operate! When a sponsor steps forward, we provide the books and materials while the school runs the event with local volunteers or staff. Again, Butler Cohen stepped in to sponsor this event. Tyler recruited volunteers from their company. “It was a lot of fun and very fulfilling making the kids smile,” said Elan Shney, Preconstruction Manager.

While the volunteers from Butler Cohen were excited to provide this event, the students were the real winners.

Memry Bender of Elevate Collegiate shares their experience:

“On behalf of the students, staff, and families at Elevate Collegiate, I want to extend my heartfelt thanks for your generous sponsorship of our recent school book fair.

Thanks to your support, we were able to provide a joyful and enriching experience for our students, many of whom discovered new favorite books and rekindled their love for reading. Your contribution helped us ensure that every child had the opportunity to explore, imagine, and learn through the pages of a book—an experience that will stay with them for years to come.

The excitement and smiles we witnessed throughout the week were a powerful reminder of how impactful community support can be. We are truly grateful for your investment in our students’ literacy and education.

Thank you once again for your generosity and for being such a valued part of our school community.”

Apr 14
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Press Release – 3rd Annual Adult Spelling Bee

By General, Spelling Bee

Book Drive for Kids Raises Over $41,000
at 3rd Annual Adult Spelling Bee

Proceeds further the non-profit’s mission to create a culture of literacy and independent reading among disadvantaged children.

LEWISVILLE, TX (March 26, 2025) — Book Drive for Kids, a Denton County-based non-profit that partners with community organizations and Title I schools to get books into the hearts and homes of needy children, announced this week that it raised $41,236 from its 3rd annual Adult Spelling Bee on March 21 at Circle R Ranch in Flower Mound. That’s a roughly 20% increase from last year’s event total and a whopping $27,336 increase from the inaugural event in 2023. This year’s event also attracted 175 attendees—including nine sponsored teams of three that battled for the spelling bee championship and other top honors.

Book Drive for Kids Co-Founder and Executive Director Michelle Cook said the money raised included $2,570 from the Most Fans award fundraiser. Attendees were asked to vote for their favorite teams, with every dollar equaling one vote. Those proceeds will be used to create summer reading kits for 257 kindergarteners. The rest will further fund BDK’s growing list of free book fairs, donation drives, and more.

“What started as a small concept has continued to grow every year thanks to the generous support of countless individuals, small-business owners, large corporations, educational partners, local groups, school districts, area chambers of commerce, and other community-minded people and organizations,” Cook said. “We are incredibly grateful to our event planning committee, selfless volunteers, and everyone who came out to support our mission of getting books into the hearts and homes of kids who need them.”

Since 2017, Book Drive for Kids has donated over 200,000 books to more than 136,000 students at 253 events in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, and its reach extends to places like Austin, Houston, and South Texas.

“As always, we are still seeking volunteers and corporate sponsors for free book fairs and hosts for book donation drives,” Cook added. “And, of course, we’re already starting to plan for next year’s spelling bee.”

As for the top spellers and award-getters from this year’s Adult Spelling Bee, there were plenty. Beauties and the Beast (Steve Gamel, Lois Kim, and Kristen Gramling) won the event after narrowly edging Three’s Company (Jen Adame, Darrell Patillo, and Tiffanie Harris) in the finals. Buzzed on Words (Dori Bonitatibus, Stephanie Gardner, and Cindy Williams) was a double winner for Most Fans and Best Costume.

Individual team sponsors were BbK Services 556, PointBank, Mantiki Solutions, ResponsiveEd, Bright Thinker, Lewisville Morning Rotary Club, Independent Financial, Stewart Organization, and PuroClean.

“This is honestly my favorite event of the year—and there are a lot of events throughout the year—because you get to just come as you are and raise money for a great cause,” Lois Kim said. “The casual atmosphere combined with heckling and an opportunity to spell competitively as adults is genius. I’ve volunteered at a book fair where these kids go through the line and tell us they don’t have any money. To tell that child it’s free because of the money we raised at events like this is priceless.”

Steve Gamel agreed. He and Kim have competed in the spelling bee all three years.

“It was a blast to win something like this with Lois and Kristen—especially considering how fierce the competition was. But the real winners are the kids we were all there to support,” Gamel said. “Getting books into their hands is the greatest honor.”

Gramling rounded out the winning team’s thoughts by saying, “It was an honor to compete for Book Drive for Kids to increase awareness and resources for them to continue their work in providing books to those that may not have access. Owning books may seem customary, but for some, it’s a luxury and should be a reality for all kids and their families.”

More About Book Drive for Kids

Book Drive for Kids is a 501(c)(3) organization on a mission to help create a culture of literacy by providing books to disadvantaged children for independent reading. The organization began in 2017 thanks to Cook and fellow co-founder Nicol Klingenstein. With a few hundred used books, they offered a teacher friend the opportunity to host a free book fair at her school, where 90% of the kids were economically disadvantaged. The response went through the roof, leading to even more events in the years to come.

These book fairs do not cost the kids or their families anything—they are just an opportunity to read for pleasure and personal fulfillment. Furthermore, the kids truly feel like these are gifts to them—they don’t see these books as belonging to their school. It’s for them, and they realize there are people they don’t know who genuinely care enough about them and want them to have books available.

Independent reading is not tested, chosen by the reader, and done for pleasure or personal fulfillment. Studies suggest that independent readers become better readers, score higher on achievement tests in all subject areas, and have greater content knowledge than those who do not. Independent reading may be conducted at school during a silent sustained reading (SSR) period, at home, in the car, or between classes, and even as little as 10 minutes of reading a day significantly affects reading test scores.

For more information, including ways to donate, volunteer, or participate in next year’s adult spelling bee, visit bookdriveforkids.com.

Please direct all media inquiries to:
Michelle Cook, Book Drive for Kids
[email protected]

Jan 31
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Volunteer Highlight – Pam Lipari

By General

Volunteer Spotlight — Pam Lipari

A Heart for Service

At Book Drive for Kids, we are incredibly fortunate to have dedicated volunteers who believe in the power of books and the impact they can have on a child’s future. One of our very first volunteers, Pam Lipari, continues to serve with unwavering passion, bringing joy and inspiration to young readers.

At a recent book fair, Pam shared, “I love these kiddos! I will volunteer at this school every year!” Her words reflect the deep connection she has with the children she serves, and her commitment to our mission is truly inspiring.

Pam’s gentle voice, warm spirit, and personal appreciation for books—rooted in her own childhood in rural Tennessee—make her a beloved presence in the schools she visits. She understands firsthand how books can open doors to new worlds, spark imagination, and shape young minds.

Her belief in the mission of Book Drive for Kids continues to fuel our work, and we are beyond grateful for her friendship and service. Thank you, Pam, for being a shining light in our community!

To learn how you can volunteer, visit our website.

Jan 30
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Michelle’s Musings – New Adventures in 2025

By General

New Adventures in 2025

Happy New Year!

Looking into 2025, we are so excited about the new opportunities to get books into the hearts and homes of underserved children! There’s nothing quite like the look of delight as a child opens an engaging book for the very first time. It’s that joy, that spark of imagination, that drives our mission for the year ahead.

The Power of Books in a Child’s Life

Books have the power to unlock new worlds, spark curiosity, and build important skills. But for many children, access to books is limited or nonexistent. In 2025, our goal is to change that. Whether it’s providing a brand-new book to a child in need, or expanding the reach of our book drives into new communities, we’re more committed than ever to making sure every child has the chance to experience the magic of reading at home with a library of their own.

New Goals and Opportunities in 2025

This year, we’re thrilled to announce several exciting updates to our efforts at Book Drive for Kids. 

Summer Reading program – for the first time, with the help of a grant from the City of Lewisville, we are gifting summer reading kits to 200 young readers at Central Elementary. These are not just random books but curated and engaging book titles to encourage success in school topics while sparking the joy of reading. Not only will they receive the books, but also a Student Enrichment Guide with ideas for parents on how to engage the family in reading and an Adventure Journal to write and draw about their adventures in books.  With the funds from the City of Lewisville and our Senior Spelling Bee, we are only lacking $1,500 to fully fund this project. Supporting our local teachers and students is a priority for us.

Book Distribution events – invitations to bring gently-used books to local events, like Back to School events or Spring Flings, where parents and children can “fill a bag” of books are on the rise. We are so grateful for the many groups who have held book donation drives as these donations allow us to say “YES” when invited. If you would like to take part in one of these events, we are in need of volunteers to host the tables, usually on Saturdays.

Record-setting Free Book Fairs – these are the heart of our program. Not only have we served our local schools here in Denton county, but we have hosted events all across Dallas and our first Fort Worth ISD free book fair, with invitations to come to more schools. This year will be a record-setting year in the number of events.

We are especially excited that after three years of working with the Ferguson Road Initiative in locating sponsors, we are on-target to host a free book fair at ALL the low-income feeder schools of Bryan Adams High School in Far East Dallas.  This particular part of Dallas is a food desert, childcare desert, and book desert. Having a role in bringing life through literacy to a greatly-underserved area is a real joy and making an impact for the revitalization of this part of Dallas.

YOU can make a difference – Let’s Partner Together!

Book Drive for Kids is driven by volunteers and generous donors who recognize the power of a good book! Whether you’re donating gently used books, making a monetary contribution to help us purchase new titles, or volunteering your time to help us organize events, every effort counts. Even sharing our mission on social media helps to spread the word and bring in more support. Truly, this is a community-wide effort.

A Bright Future Through Books

The impact of a book is far-reaching—it nurtures a child’s love for learning, supports literacy development, and can even inspire the next generation of leaders, thinkers, and creators. As we look ahead to 2025, we’re optimistic about the future and the endless possibilities that come from ensuring every child has access to books. Together, we can continue to foster a love of reading and create lasting change in the lives of children everywhere.

Let’s make 2025 the year we fill the world with even more stories, adventures, and hope!

With gratitude,

Michelle 

Nov 07
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Inaugural Senior Spelling Bee

By General

Inaugural Senior Spelling Bee

Designed as an intergenerational event, Discovery Village of Lewisville, a beautiful independent living space, offered to host the event on October 5, 2024. A fabulous lineup of 10 “seniors” (i.e. over 50 years) signed up and recruited a couple of junior sidekicks (children aged 6-16) to help out. The judges laid down the law, prepping our spellers for the spelling showdown ahead. 

When the doors swung open, fans and spectators poured in, buzzing with excitement!

As the spellers took their places, you could practically feel the electricity in the air. One by one, they tackled their words, with some gracefully advancing and others taking a little sidestep into the spectator zone. Our emcee, Michelle Cook, kept the vibes flowing, giving contestants a breather between rounds and pulling lucky raffle winners. Huge thanks to our awesome sponsors for the wonderful baskets and a lucky winner took home 4 coveted seats to catch the Dallas Stars in action!

The grand finale saw Discovery Village resident, Ann Slavik, and the incredible Debbie Goforth of Point Bank battling it out, spelling their way through a storm of tricky words. The crowd was on the edge of their seats, blown away by their spelling prowess. In the end, Debbie emerged as the last speller standing, claiming the title of Champion of Book Drive for Kids’ very first Senior Spelling Bee!

A big virtual high-five to all the volunteers and judges who made this event a smashing success! You rock, and we couldn’t pull off these amazing events without your superhero support!

Nov 07
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Member Highlight – Kathy Parker

By General

Board Member Spotlight — Kathy Parker

Kathy Parker hesitates to take an ounce of credit for the success of Book Drive for Kids. Even as a devoted founding board member, she insists her role has been minor at best and that all the kudos should go to Michelle Cook and Nicol Klingenstein for working tirelessly to create their nonprofit from scratch and doing all they can to get books into the hearts and hands of kids everywhere.

That said, one thing she can’t downplay is the distinction of being the first person they pitched the idea to in the first place. 

As the story goes, Michelle and Nicol already looked up to Kathy as an amazingly selfless and Godly friend and mentor. It also didn’t hurt that she had an extensive background in hospitality, business ownership, leadership, and countless nonprofit work. That background includes owning several Trail Dust Steakhouses with her family, being a board member of the Dallas Opera and Dallas Theater, and being the President of the Dallas Theater Guild. Needless to say, she was precisely the person they needed to bring their fledgling idea to life in 2017. 

“It was a wonderful idea,” Kathy said. “I remember sitting down with them at the kitchen table and working through everything necessary to get started. I pulled out my notebooks from places I had been involved with and worked through what a structure for something like this might look like moving forward—how to set up a board, reporting mechanisms, etc. We started dreaming up a vision of where we wanted to go, and kudos to them for following through.” 

Kathy is still every bit the sounding board and volunteer Book Drive for Kids has needed as it continues to grow. More importantly, she has been instrumental in helping Michelle, Nicol, and so many others achieve personal growth and strive to be good stewards as they search for more ways to give back to the communities they serve.

“While you may not know the lives you touch, you hope that what you’re doing will positively affect future generations,” she said. “I love what Book Drive for Kids does, and I’ll continue to help for as long as they’ll have me.” 

Kathy considers herself a retiree but has no trouble keeping herself busy. She has organized and taught a women’s Bible study group in her home every Monday for the past 15 years and is an active member of Denton Bible Church. She is also involved with several other nonprofits, including Refuge for Women, and still finds time to play tennis three times a week. She also loves cooking and shopping. 

She and her husband, Nathanial, live in Argyle and are about to celebrate their 30th anniversary—possibly with a trip to Spain. They have a blended family with six kids (one of which is in heaven) and 12 grandchildren between three months and 25 years old. Interestingly, one of her step-children is Tan Parker, Senator for Texas Senate District 12. 

With help from volunteers like Kathy, Book Drive for Kids is able to give away thousands of books annually.  Join our volunteer fun and help us get more books to more kids!

Nov 07
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Michelle’s Musings – Ms Frizzle Rides Again

By General

Ms. Frizzle Rides Again!

Remember Ms. Frizzle and the Magic School Bus?

Her adventurous spirit and love of science takes even the most reluctant students on fascinating journeys in her Magic School Bus. They can shrink to the size of a germ inside the human body; travel to the ocean floor, dive inside a volcano or race through outer space; and even zoom back in time to walk alongside dinosaurs. 

I always wanted to be Ms. Frizzle.

When I noticed we had a book fair on October 31st, Halloween Day, I decided now was the time!

It wasn’t until the third graders arrived that it really “clicked” with the kids. When I told them I was Ms. Frizzle, their eyes got big, they started whispering to each other and huge smiles spread across their faces. Of course, this just inspired me to step more fully into the role, encouraging them to choose “my favorite books” (i.e. non-fiction books about science). Of course, they found my books and on their way out showed me the ones they had selected.

I had so much fun which continued even as I awoke the following morning with a smile remembering some of the short conversations “Ms. Frizzle” shared with these students. It  reminded me of my “Why” for dedicating time and effort to bring books to children who otherwise, most likely, will not experience this joy of meeting so many fun, quirky characters in literature.

These precious students had never met me nor had I met them. We live more than 30 miles apart, do not shop at the same grocery store or attend the same church BUT we both know Ms. Frizzle. She became a bridge between us over which we could share delight, questions, and knowledge. This is the power of books.  Complete strangers can form a bond over any shared interest but the experiences of books or stories link us as humans.

Who do you want to connect with?  A co-worker, sibling, child, neighbor?

Maybe sharing a book will help bridge that gap.

Try it and then let me know how it works.

 My heart overflows with gratitude for you – the donors, volunteers, supporters – who give so generously!  Thanks to you on NTX Giving Day, we met our match and more than doubled giving over last year. You are record-breakers with us as each year, the number of children who select books grows! 

Your generosity brought Ms. Frizzle to over 500 students last week! She was able to share her love of learning and the wonder of our beautiful world. When she can’t be there, I have the privilege of going in her stead, which is truly a dream come true. 

 

With gratitude,

Michelle 

Sep 10
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Member Highlight – Jeannine Sandstrom

By General

Board Member Spotlight — Jeannine Sandstrom

Many moons ago, Dr. Jeannine Sandstrom quit her job, sold her cars and house, and even re-homed her dog so she could join The Peace Corps and teach English as a second language in Malaysia. While the decision to move nearly 10,000 miles away from everyone and everything she knew appeared to be made on a whim—a short recruiting pitch in college was all it took to get Jeannine and her then-husband to sign up—anyone who knows her likely saw it coming from a mile away.

After all, Jeannine comes from a large family of educators and business owners and always had what she calls a “built-in bias” for helping children and adults from all walks of life learn to read as early and as often as possible.

“I’ve seen the difference it can make in people’s lives,” she said. “For a child, a love for reading opens up their entire world.”

Fast-forward to today, and Jeannine’s bias couldn’t be stronger. She parlayed her education and countless trips around the world into teaching at the elementary and university levels, then went on to build a successful consulting practice where she now works with ambitious, fast-moving executives on their path to greatness. When she’s not busy doing that, she’s investing her time, talent, and treasure as a tireless volunteer, cheerleader, and board member for Book Drive for Kids.

Jeannine joined BDK five years ago after meeting Michelle Cook and Nicol Klingenstein through a joint Bible study group. The fearless duo happened to be asking for book donations, which Jeannine happily obliged.

The next thing she knew, she was volunteering at the warehouse and several area book fairs.

Then came even more volunteer opportunities, and Jeannine never once said no.

“When Michelle began talking about needing new books, my built-in bias kicked in, and my ears quickly perked up,” Jeannine said while reminiscing. “It’s hard to say no to Michelle, and honestly, I don’t want to say no. She is delightfully passionate about what she’s doing, and her infectious personality led me to what I’m doing for them today. It was certainly a fun decision, and I can see myself sticking around for quite a while—provided that my unique brand of mischief is tolerated.”

Jeannine has lived in the Flower Mound-Highland Village area for 30 years, and to say she’s accomplished quite a bit in her life would be the understatement of the century. Besides spending nearly three years teaching in Malaysia, she also spent three years in the Canary Islands. She has a Master’s in Human Resource Management and Marketing and a Doctorate in Human Resource Development.

Among many other accolades and credentials, she is a Master Certified Coach (MCC) and Certified Business Coach (CBC).

In her downtime, Jeannine is a member of three book clubs and travels internationally with the Voices of Flower Mound music group.

Sep 10
Love0

Michelle’s Musings – Collaboration

By General

C - O - L - L - A - B - O - R - A - T - I - O - N

The act of two or more entities working together to achieve a goal together.

Two is better than one.
Teamwork makes the dream work.
A House divided against itself cannot stand.
#BetterTogether

Self-help books crowd book stores with leaders extolling the virtues of working together. No matter what industry you work in, best practices include establishing collaboration within the team or across the company but if you have ever been on a team, you know it is not always easy to “play nice”. Lack of communication, differing priorities, various opinions, rivalries, and ultimately, the time to learn how to value and trust the other person often undermine the desire or ability to collaborate.

Here at Book Drive for Kids we place a high priority on Collaboration. As a small, grassroots organization focused in the DFW area, we know that we have a limited sphere of influence, capacity, time, and effort; however, when there’s an army of people working toward the same goal, we can support each other with tools, encouragement, and resources. Then those ripples flow out far and wide.

Free book fairs are at the heart of Book Drive for Kids’ mission and the primary vehicle we use to get books into the hearts and homes of disadvantaged children. Yet we have found a way to expand our “ripples” despite our small size.

We collaborate with multiple groups across the metroplex who are working to achieve our same goal: to build a culture of literacy for the next generation through wide access to books.

We’d like you to meet a couple of them!

Owenwood Neighborhood Farm and Neighborhood Space

“Thank you so much for making all this happen! Our summer kiddos have spent so much time in the loft area reading!”

On June 20, 2024, Book Drive for Kids officially opened the Library Space at Owenwood Farm and Neighborhood Space, a community center in Far East Dallas created on the grounds of a former Methodist Church.

For many years, this area of Dallas has been a food desert, book desert, and a child care desert. Owenwood formed to meet the tangible needs of the local residents, like after-school classes, free food and diaper distribution, senior art and exercise classes, and free summer camps. They also offer low-cost office space to other non-profit organizations who serve the community.

When residents started asking about an on-site library, Director Jessica Hernandez decided a loft space (former balcony) could be transformed to a cozy reading area.

But how could they get the books and bookshelves?

Book Drive for Kids, of course!

For the past two years, Owenwood has sponsored the free book fair at Conner Elementary, literally its neighbor. When Jessica asked us about this project, we were thrilled to join in. With #Giving Tuesday funds from Thrift Books, we purchased bookshelves and brought books to fill them up!

“Thank you so much for making all this happen! Our summer kiddos have spent so much time in the loft area reading!”

Jessica Hernandez
Executive Director

A few years ago, we had an overabundance of board book donations. (Board books are the heavy cardboard books that are made durable for little hands.) We went searching for a group that could find them good homes.

Through a friend, we found Child Care Group, a nonprofit in Dallas that works to improve early childhood education, by equipping stay-at-home parents and small child care providers with tools, training, and support to ensure that young children in low-income areas are ready for kindergarten. Since Texas is ranked 50th (that’s the bottom) in high quality child care available in low-income areas. Child Care Group services are vital and are bridging this gap.

We were delighted to meet Cynthia Garrison, the Home Based Program Manager and the feeling is mutual.

“We are so grateful for Book Drive for Kids. Without their generous donations, we would be lacking in providing free resources, such as books, including bi-lingual books, and supplies to our families to use in their homes. Sometimes families come to us with nothing. Because of Book Drive for Kids support, we can gift them with books, and other learning materials. Book Drive for Kids always thinks of us and are passionate about supporting early readers.”

This is what COLLABORATION looks like! People working together to share resources and empower others to meet the goal together. In this case, our mutual goal is promoting literacy but more than that, it is ensuring that the next generation is equipped to lead and grow our community.

Click image to view our NTX Giving Day flyer

Your gift this NTX Giving Day allows us to provide books and resources to other groups – FREE OF CHARGE – who are serving families that we would never be able to reach with our limited staff. We are all working together to help bring books into the hearts and homes of families who need them.

Let’s Collaborate!!

Michelle Cook
Co-Founder & Executive Director

Sep 10
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Austin Community Foundation

By General

Austin Book Drive For Kids

A kindergarten class at Austin Achieve Pflugerville showing off their free books on August 1st along with representatives from the Young Men’s Service League and National Charity League. This book fair was sponsored by the Austin Community Foundation.

Brooke Terry along with her amazing volunteers are doing great work in Austin.
Getting books into the hearts and homes of children in the area.

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