Books have their own special shelf in Ellen Keegan’s heart.
I’ve been through a really bad health situation where I wasn’t able to leave the house and couldn’t have company. The thing that got me through was books. They were a form of escape I couldn’t imagine life without books, said Keegan.
The retired teacher from Clifton Park was volunteering for Operation Adopt a Soldier to fill her time, and after a few meetings to assemble care packages, she decided to take an ambitious leap and created Books for Troops.
`We were sending a lot of other necessities but what really bothered me was that books weren’t being sent and they were on the list of things [soldiers overseas] wanted,` said Keegan.
As long as she could raise her own money and gather books herself, Books for Troops got the green-light from OAS. That was three months ago, and already Keegan has sent out 200 boxes of books, with about 75 more sitting in her garage, waiting to be mailed. What stands in the way, is postage.
`We’re getting a ton of books; however, donations aren’t coming in very well right now, so I can’t send out the other boxes because I don’t have money for postage,` said Keegan.
All funds raised go toward postage, which is $12.50 for a box that fits between 15 and 18 books, sometimes with paper and pencils nestled in between. Aside from friends and family, Keegan said her main source of monetary donations have come from a local hamburger stand off Exit 8 in Clifton Park.
`I gave the owner of Country Drive a colletion bottle and she’s raised, by herself, more than $900 in coins. I hand her an empty bottle every week, and she hands me a collection of coins,` said Keegan. `To her it’s nothing but to me it’s everything. She’s made possible something like 70 boxes.`
Keegan has done a couple raffles to raise money, but she said she’s really looking forward to getting into the local schools to raise awareness among students and teachers.
`I’m hoping to be able to talk about the importance of reading and reach the community that way. Also, to let the kids be aware that the sacrifices troops are making aren’t just the big ones, like being away from home and living in foreign countries, but little ones like not having certain candies, baeball hats or books. Things we take for granted,` said Keegan.
Keegan said easing the pain of these sacrifices is something she’s always felt strongly about but was only able to act upon when she started her volunteer work.
`I’ve always had a very special interest and empathy for the troops because I’m in my 60s and to me they’re babies, they’re children I think of their mothers and want to do anything that can make their lives easier,` said Keegan, who said she doesn’t believe in war and also supports veteran organizations. `I truly believe in doing this I am finally making a difference, and being retired that’s what I wanted to do, it just took me awhile.`
While not necessary, Keegan said the gratitude is heartwrenching.
`I got one letter thanking me, from a soldier just being shocked that so many people remembered them, even complete strangers,` said Keegan.
Books for Troops accepts only paperback books because they’re lighter to carry in backpacks through the desert. Keegan said she gets a lot of mysteries and some romance novels for the women soldiers, but urges that any type of book is welcome. Some requests soldiers typically send is for comic books, coloring books and puzzle books.
There are drop off locations at Town Hall in Clifton Park, Red Robin in Clifton Park and Latham, the Getaway Restaurant in Clifton Park Center and the West Crescent Firehouse. Keegan hopes to expand toward Troy at some point, but an expansion of the program can’t happen until she gets a few more volunteers.
`Right now, I primarily do it alone [out of my garage] and I have two volunteers who help me carry boxes. I want to develop a community or group of people where I can bounce ideas off and do similar fundraising and spread the word,` said Keegan. `I would like this to continue, even if I can no longer do it, because I think its so important.`
One last wish, Keegan said, is for some more space.
`It’s probably an impractical dream, but I’d really like someone to volunteer some space because when I get new shipments of books in, the car moves out of the garage and I can’t get it back I until I go through them all. The piles keep getting higher and higher,` said Keegan.
The collection box is in the front lobby of town hall near the reception desk. Donations can be sent to Operation Adopt A Soldier Inc, 4281 Route 50, Saratoga Springs, N.Y. 12866. For more information about Books for Troops, Keegan can be contacted at 373-4939.
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