As the president of my high school’s book club last year, I thought we needed to do some sort of event that would help others in this county and spark an interest in reading. To accomplish this, I decided we would hold a book drive, during which we would collect all different types of books and donate them to a local homeless shelter. I honestly had no idea what the outcome would be. In the past at my high school, different types of community activities haven’t always been that successful. I wasn’t sure how many people would take the time to look through their books at home to see which ones to donate.

Every day on the loudspeaker, an announcement was made to bring books to the front entrance of the school. Each day, more and more books arrived, and by the fourth week, we had over 500 books! And it didn’t stop there—by the end of the two-month drive, we had close to 900 books. I couldn’t believe our success! I was so proud of the tremendous response from the student body. Many people, some of whom I knew well and others whom I didn’t know at all, came together and thought about others who didn’t have as much.

After our drive ended, I went to the homeless shelter and donated the books we had collected. Alongside me was Jennie, another member of the book club, who helped me carry the books to the shelter. I’ll always remember what she said as we handed the books to the person in charge: “I feel like I’ve done nice things in my life, but it’s the little things like this that really count.”

After hearing several positive responses to the book drive, I decided it would be beneficial for me to ask even more people about their opinions of this community service event. Dan thought the drive “was absolutely great because it was a way for people who are underprivileged to learn.” He felt it was “a great way to teach high school students about how to get involved and make a difference.” Amanda thought the drive really set a “great example for people at the high school.” She also mentioned that it would teach other organizations at school to get involved and start making substantial changes in the world.

Seeing the community come together for such a great cause was an invaluable experience. I learned how important it is to help others who might not have as much as I do. I also interacted with people I never would have talked to before. It gave me and others the opportunity to take part in an activity that we otherwise wouldn’t normally be exposed to. As I prepare for my sophomore year in college this fall, I’m hopeful about the response such a drive could have in a bigger venue like my university. Imagine the success!

Jill Weiss is a freshman at Rutgers University. She’s very active in the Chabad on campus and works as an executive board member. She’s also a member of the JVibe Teen Advisory Board.