For a decade, bringing the magic of reading to children one book at a time has been Sarah Matalavage’s dream. A social worker by trade, Sarah has seen firsthand the impact of the lack of access to free children’s books in lower socioeconomic neighborhoods.
“The statistics are really quite alarming, when you look at them. There was one that showed childhood literacy rates, by the time that a child was in third grade, there was a connection and a linkage to whether there would be an incarceration rate and potential then recidivism after that,” said Sarah Matalavage the Executive Director of the Enchanting Bookmobile.
The dream of bringing books to children in these areas may have started by raising awareness about the importance of childhood literacy and getting free books into kids' hands but Sarah knew she needed to do more.
“We wanted the children to have time to select something that they would keep forever that was meaningful to them,” said Sarah.
In August of 2022 Sarah’s dream entered a new chapter when she purchased a bus with the hopes of reaching even more children. The Enchanting Bookmobile, a library on wheels, was born.
Getting the Bookmobile ready to hit the road was another story, Sarah knew she needed help. She took a shot and applied for a Lowe’s Hometown Grant, and to Sarah’s shock she was chosen to receive one.
“I freaked out. I was like ‘what?’ I felt like I’d won the lottery,” said Sarah.
With the grant Sarah said they were able to revamp the bus and build bookshelves inside, hire an artist to paint the outside, and spread the word of the bus’s mission.
“Lowe’s involvement was the game changer. Without Lowe’s none of this would’ve been possible. When I got the grant, it was everything,” said Sarah.
Recently, The Enchanting Bookmobile hit the streets of a Richmond neighborhood for the first time. With a line of kids outside the bus, Sarah said she wanted to make sure each one was able to take their time inside and choose a book they wanted.
“I never want to hand a book to a kid and say, this fits you. The fact that they can take their time while they're on the bus, be able to select something that they're going to treasure, I think even it means so much more that they will take care of that book,”
That first trip to the neighborhood won't be the Enchanting Bookmobile’s last. Sarah says her plan is to make her visits consistent for the kids so they can build their own free library. Even though the Enchanting Bookmobile has just started to truly be mobile, Sarah says the impact is everything.
