(Via Ramblings on Romance, etc and with a nod to Katiebabs)
An Open Letter to Romance Readers:
If you are like me, you have a multitude of romance novels sitting on the bookshelf, doing little more than offering fond memories, looking pretty, and gathering dust. As I tried to make room for my newest purchases one day, I thought there had to be a better use for all these wonderful books.
After all, they are not merely love stories and are certainly not rescue fantasies. They are rich narratives of women overcoming conflict, discovering their own power, falling in love, and being rewarded with optimistic, emotionally satisfying endings. And shouldn’t all women enjoy the same treasure of words filled with inspiration and empowerment—or, if nothing else, a pleasant diversion from day to day life?
Of course they should.
Then it occurred to me: why not donate romance novels to women in crisis? Mass-market paperbacks are considered to be inexpensive but are still not in the budget for everyone who might enjoy them. How better to encourage literacy—an incredibly valuable skill that benefits not just women but the families they support—than by providing engaging reading material? Doesn’t everyone deserve the pleasure of a good story with a happy-ending?
With the help of Ann Bleakley, my friend and co-founder, Share The Love was born.
It’s simple: we will collect gently used romance novels and pass them onto non-profit organizations that provide assistance to women in transitional periods of their lives—homeless and domestic violence shelters, prisons and recovery half-way houses—and that help them establish independent lives.
We hope you will join us —one story at a time—in offering encouragement, inspiration, and enjoyment to women.
Thank you,
Maya Rodale
Ann Bleakley
Right now, there is only one organization receiving their donations, Women in Need (WIN, see below) but as they grow so will the list of recipients.
“Founded in 1983, today serves over 8,500 people including 5,000 children who are homeless and disadvantaged. We strive to restore dignity, promote independence and provide stable housing to vulnerable families who face major obstacles that threaten to destroy their lives. When families find themselves without options, we provide them with housing, skills, knowledge, understanding and support.”
So let’s go forth and clear some shelf space for a great cause!
