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Appalachia North: Neighbors with a few good deeds

4 mins read
Violet Cushman browses books to gift to her 12 grandkids.

FARMINGTON – Some people might believe that Kelly Sterns is some sort of magician. Or a more community-focused version of Rumpelstiltskin. Or a rural Maine Santa Claus, reaching hordes of children in little more than an hour.

Rather than working with straw and gold or pointy-eared assistants, however, Sterns works with books and a handful of like-minded neighbors.

“We’re not fancy. Things just started to take off and we thought, oh, maybe we should have a name,” Sterns said.

Appalachia North is what they came up with- a small, informal group of people who focus on “teeny tiny projects that teach, transform or tickle you pink,” according to their motto. The group helps ideas get off the ground- ideas that are often thought up by others.

“We like to do things that are quirky or different. If it’s goofy there’s a really good chance we’ll help you do it,” Sterns said.

For people just looking for money, Sterns said it might be best for them to look elsewhere. Appalachia North looks for the random projects. The ones that are “easy, fun and spread joy.” They’ve been doing it for three years now, most recently focusing on a book distribution project called the “Walking Books Library.”

“It started out with just handing out books, door to door. But then we realized it was working, so we ramped it up,” she said.

On Sunday, Appalachia North handed out $1,000 worth of brand new books to kids, grandparents, parents and other readers, all free of charge. Sterns said they don’t ever ask for money.

“We never want people to feel like they can’t afford a book,” she said.

The group chose to set up their library in front of Save-a-Lot in Farmington, a spot that Sterns knows attracts people on a budget. The group expects to give away $10,000 worth of new books in the upcoming year, and has plans to get the project going even further. Starting in Jan. they will be working with families to let their kids gift books to their teachers. Sterns said with teachers being as busy as they are, and students sometimes falling through the cracks, they wanted to give them a visibility boost.

“We just wanted to think of a practical solution to help these kids get even five percent more attention from their teachers. Plus, it makes them feel proud,” she said.

Similarly, Appalachia North encourages parents, grandparents and other guardians to take books for children in their lives. She said sometimes it’s important that a book comes from someone a kid loves and trusts, rather than from a free box on a sidewalk.

“Whatever we can do to make reading fun and easy for families,” Sterns said.

As far as having access to all those new books, Sterns said they just “cobble it together.” Some come by donations locally, while others come from afar.

“I’m pretty shameless. I’ll write an email to an author telling them how great their book is and explaining the Walking Books Library. Sometimes they will send me a crate of books, other times it’s just one. But one is great, too,” she said.

Recently, Sterns was contacted by a publisher whose author wanted to make a donation to the cause. She was able to transform a $100 donation toward postage into $2,000 worth of books from the company, bringing magic to Franklin County.

To volunteer, donate or find a Walking Books Library location, contact Kelly Sterns at 491-3672.

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6 Comments

  1. We are fortunate to have a wonderful resourse in this area and moreover such a dedicated caring individual as Kelly! Thank you so much for helping in these difficult economic times. Our children will benefit for a lifetime.

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